All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com
Photo Gallery: Tori Amos at Toronto’s Massey Hall
Luna Lee Performs The Doors’ “Riders On The Storm” On The Gayegeum
Musician Luna Lee’s latest gayageum arrangement is The Doors’s classic Riders on the Storm.
Paul McCartney’s Isolated Vocals For “Jet”
Jet was the first British and American single to be released from Paul McCartney and Wings’ Band on the Run album. The song’s title was inspired by McCartney’s Labrador Retriever dog named “Jet”, as he says in Paul McCartney: In His Own Words.
We’ve got a Labrador puppy who is a runt, the runt of a litter. We bought her along a roadside in a little pet shop, out in the country one day. She was a bit of a wild dog, a wild girl who wouldn’t stay in. We have a big wall around our house in London, and she wouldn’t stay in, she always used to jump the wall. She’d go out on the town for the evening, like Lady and the Tramp. She must have met up with some big black Labrador or something. She came back one day pregnant. She proceeded to walk into the garage and have this litter… Seven little black puppies, perfect little black Labradors, and she’s not black, she’s tan. So we worked out it must have been a black Labrador. What we do is if either of the dogs we have has a litter, we try to keep them for the puppy stage, so we get the best bit of them, and then when they get a bit unmanageable we ask people if they want to have a puppy. So Jet was one of the puppies. We give them all names. We’ve had some great names, there was one puppy called Golden Molasses. I rather like that. Then there was one called Brown Megs, named after a Capitol executive. They’ve all gone now. The people change the names if they don’t like them.
Slash from Guns N’ Roses Turns Into A Pumpkin In Amazing Halloween Video
Just in time for Halloween, Slash has been immortalized as a pumpkin, and the likeness, let alone the craftsmanship has to be seen to be believed. Seen here, the Slash-o’-lantern, which was created by AXS and professional pumpkin carver John Neill (known as the “Pumpkin Guru”), perfectly captured the lead guitarist of Guns N’ Roses iconic look—complete with his famous hat and hair. The process took a total of 16 hours and was created to celebrate Halloween, along with the upcoming concerts on the legendary rock band’s tour. The fun, timelapse video turns the hours of work into 60 seconds.
“With the hat, glasses, nose ring and hair, there are few rockers more iconic and it was kick to carve Slash,” said Jon Neill, a world-renowned champion carver celebrity seen on Food Network, Snickers Halloween Commercial, Nickelodeon and more. “It wasn’t without it’s challenges, and it actually ended up being two pumpkins overall — one for his face and one for his hat. But fair to say it was a rockin’ likeness, easily one of my favorite of the season to carve.”
Dan Auerbach Announces 20-Date “Easy Eye Sound Revue Tour”
Today, eight-time GRAMMY winner, Dan Auerbach announces the 20-date “Easy Eye Sound Revue Tour,” featuring Robert Finley and Shannon Shaw, with special guests Shannon & the Clams. The extensive North American tour will kick off on February 10 in Vancouver with stops in Brooklyn, Portland, Austin, Seattle, Los Angeles, Nashville and more. Shannon & The Clams, the latest signing to Dan Auerbach’s label, Easy Eye Sound, will release their new album, produced by Auerbach, via the label in February and open every show on this tour. Each night will also feature performances by fellow Easy Eye Sound artists including Robert Finley, Shannon Shaw and of course, Dan Auerbach, all backed by the The Easy Eye Sound house band, which Relix Magazine named “Nashville’s New Wrecking Crew.” Tickets for this tour will go on sale on November 3rd at 10am Local Time.
Dan Auerbach, will also tape a performance of PBS’s lauded and long-running Austin City Limits on Monday, November 27, in support of his acclaimed new solo album Waiting On A Song. Information on how to get free passes for this taping will be posted a week before on ACL’s Facebook and Twitter. Additionally, Auerbach will open for John Prine, with whom he wrote the title track off Waiting On A Song, in November in Washington D.C. and Richmond.
A new 7” Easy Eye Sound sampler, Good Sound Comes Back Around Vol. 1, will be released on Friday, November 24th, as part of Record Store Day’s Black Friday initiative. The new 7” is a preview of upcoming releases on Auerbach’s label and features “Cellophane Angel,” an exclusive and unreleased track Auerbach recorded with the Preservation Hall Band, on Side A, and Robert Finley’s “Medicine Woman”— the first single on Goin’ Platinum! due December 8th— and Sonny Smith’s “Pictures of You” on Side B.
Auerbach’s new solo album, Waiting On A Song, which NPR Music calls “a batch of sparkling pop songs that’s sweet, breezy, and primed for summer,” is out now on Easy Eye Sound, and you can listen to it here. The album is Auerbach’s follow-up to 2009’s Keep It Hid and is his love letter to Nashville. As such, he recruited some of Na¬shville’s most respected players to write and record his latest, including John Prine, Duane Eddy, Jerry Douglas, Russ Pahl, Pat McLaughlin as well as Bobby Wood and Gene Chrisman of the Memphis Boys. Auerbach said about working with his musical heroes: “Living in Nashville has definitely changed the way I think about music and the way that I record it. I didn’t have all of these resources before. I am working with some of the greatest musicians that ever lived.”
Recently, Dan Auerbach debuted the music video for “Stand By My Girl” via Stereogum. Auerbach also appeared on CBS This Morning: Saturday for an in-depth interview with host Anthony Mason about his new album, Waiting On A Song, from which he played three songs, “Shine On Me,” “Waiting On A Song,” and “Never In My Wildest Dreams.” Watch the interview and performance here. Additionally, Auerbach premiered his music video for “Waiting on A Song” via Rolling Stone and appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert recently to perform the songs “Shine On Me” and “King Of A One Horse Town”. NPR Music premiered the video for Waiting On A Song’s first single, “Shine on Me”.
Waiting On A Song is the debut release, and marks the launch of Easy Eye Sound, Dan Auerbach’s new record label which will feature releases from other artists and is distributed by Auerbach’s longtime label Nonesuch Records. The next release on Easy Eye Sound will be of legendary bluesman Robert Finley’s new album this fall. Easy Eye Sound is built equally around Auerbach’s Easy Eye Studio in Nashville, where The Black Keys recorded their last two albums, as well as the collection of famous session musicians that have come to call the studio home. Auerbach says, “Sometimes I feel I created my own Field of Dreams. I built the studio because I knew something was going to happen. I built it to accommodate live musicians playing, and then all of a sudden the best musicians in Nashville show up, and it’s happening.”
Dan Auerbach- Waiting On A Song Track List
1. Waiting On A Song
2. Malibu Man
3. Livin’ In Sin
4. Shine On Me
5. King Of A One Horse Town
6. Never In My Wildest Dreams
7. Cherrybomb
8. Stand By My Girl
9. Undertow
10. Show Me
Dan Auerbach Tour Dates
November 10 /// Washington DC /// DAR Constitution Hall*
November 11 /// Richmond VA /// Altria Theater*
November 27 /// Austin Texas /// The Moody Theatre [Austin City Limits]
*w/ John Prine
Dan Auerbach & the Easy Eye Sound Revue featuring Robert Finley, Shannon Shaw with special guests Shannon & the Clams
February 10 /// Vancouver, BC /// Vogue Theatre
February 11 /// Portland, OR /// Crystal Ballroom
February 12 /// Seattle, WA /// The Showbox
February 14 /// San Francisco, CA /// The Fillmore
February 17 /// Los Angeles, CA /// The Wiltern
February 18 /// Santa Ana, CA /// The Observatory
February 19 /// San Diego, CA /// The Observatory North Park
February 20 /// Phoenix, AZ /// The Van Buren
February 22 /// Dallas, TX /// Canton Hall
February 23 /// Austin, TX /// Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
February 25 /// Nashville, TN /// Ryman Auditorium
March 24 /// Philadelphia, PA /// Union Transfer
March 25 /// Boston, MA /// House of Blues
March 27 /// Brooklyn, NY /// Brooklyn Steel
March 29 /// Toronto, ON /// Danforth Music Hall
March 31 /// Cleveland, OH /// Agora Theater
April 02 /// Chicago, IL /// Riviera Theatre
April 03 /// St. Paul, MN /// Palace Theatre
April 04 /// Kansas City, MO /// The Truman
April 05 /// Denver, CO /// Paramount Theatre
Help Musicians UK Release “Can Music Make You Sick?” Study And Announced Key Pledges For Industry
The country’s leading independent music charity, Help Musicians UK (HMUK), released the final report and findings of Can Music Make You Sick? and announced three key pledges for the music industry.
HMUK pledged to establish a Music Industry Mental Health Taskforce, to lead the drive for change across the industry as well as launching a landmark 24/7 mental health service ‘Music Minds Matter’ for anyone working in the music industry by December 2017 This final pledge combines clinical and therapeutic help, grant funding and bespoke legal, welfare, debt and benefits advice.
HMUK, who have been serving the music industry for 96 years, originally commissioned Can Music Make You Sick? in 2016. This is the world’s largest known academic study into music and mental health and was a survey of over 2,200 musicians —revealing that the music community may be up to three times more likely to experience depression compared to the general public.
The research provided crucial insight into the scale of the problem of musician’s mental health challenges, how this can be further impacted by a career in music, to find out how the charity can help and support those that need it most in the music community.
This new and final study, undertaken by researchers Sally Gross and Dr. George Musgrave of the University of Westminster and published by MusicTank, asked the music community how their working conditions have impacted on their mental health and general wellbeing and comprises semi-structured interviews of 26 respondents from a broad cross section of the industry. The participants stem from the initial 2016 survey.
As well as making the three headline pledges, today HMUK has revealed the key insights and recommendations from the report:
Research key insights:
* Money worries – A career in music is often precarious and unpredictable. Many musicians have several different jobs as part of a portfolio career, and as a result get little time to take a break. Musicians can also find it hard to access affordable professional help for mental health issues.
* Poor working conditions – Music makers can be reflective and highly self-critical, and exist in an environment of constant critical feedback. As many musicians are self-employed, their work can result in feelings of isolation when it comes to dealing with mental health problems.
* Relationship challenges – Family, friends and partners play an important role in supporting musicians, but these relationships can come under huge pressure and strain.
* Sexual abuse/bullying/discrimination – Musicians’ working environment can be anti-social and unsympathetic, with some experiencing sexual abuse, harassment, bullying and coercion.
Summary of recommendations:
* Education – Discussion of mental health awareness should be embedded in curriculum in music education courses and wider discussion should be stimulated in the industry with working musicians.
* A code of best practice – Allied to a commitment of kindness and tolerance, to act as voluntary demonstration of an organisation’s awareness of mental health issues in the music industry and an understanding of the challenges faced by creative workers.
* A mental health support service for music community – professional mental health services that are affordable and accessible.
HMUK’s Three Key Pledges:
* Building a music industry Mental Health Taskforce – with key partners and stakeholders, to be a forum for discussion with the industry to establish a code of best practice and duty of care within the industry
* Deliver a nationwide support service – This will take the form of Music Minds Matter, the unique new 24/7 mental health service to launch December 2017, to be shaped and defined in partnership with the industry
* Advocate for change across the industry – Ignite support in the UK and globally for Music Minds Matter with key industry partnerships and collaborations
Calling All “Country Music Freaks”: Blake Shelton Just Announced His 2018 Tour
Country superstar Blake Shelton kicked this year off by “Doing It To Country Songs,” and he will jump into 2018 with his fellow “Country Music Freaks” on his just announced headlining tour. Shelton will hit the road alongside Brett Eldredge, Carly Pearce and very special guest Trace Adkins on February 15 in Tulsa, OK (full dates below).
“The main thing that I look forward to these days, and honestly I always have, is my live performances,” said Shelton. “And even though I’m the first to say that too much time on the road can wear me down, too much time away from the road can break my heart. It’s been a while and I cannot wait to get out there! I think this is going to be my greatest tour yet.”
The upcoming tour will showcase fan favorites along with music from Shelton’s latest project, Texoma Shore. Due this Friday, November 3 and available now for pre-order, the album is led by his quickly rising single “I’ll Name The Dogs.” The romantic tune is approaching Top 10 this week at country radio within two months of impact, with Taste of Country praising “one of the strongest, most compelling melodies of any song [Shelton] has recorded and released in years.” After making its world premiere this morning, Shelton will take another brand new track, “At The House,” to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon this evening on NBC at 11:35/10:35c. Download the audio here.
In addition to the headliner himself, the “Country Music Freaks” Tour will feature performances from three of the biggest country music freaks in the business: Shelton’s chart-topping, Platinum-selling label mate Brett Eldredge, People-deemed “new voice of Country” Carly Pearce and Shelton’s “Hillbilly Bone” duet partner and good friend, Trace Adkins. Eldredge brought his 2017 self-titled album to the top of Billboard’s all-genre Top Album Sales and Country Albums charts upon release. With six Country Airplay No. 1 singles under his belt, the singer / songwriter’s latest song “The Long Way” is already proving to be another smash with over 15 million streams and counting. Pearce released her debut album Every Little Thing on Big Machine Records October 13 as the Top 5 title track makes her the only solo female currently ranked this high – and one of only three females to reach Top 10 this year – at country radio. Adkins, who will join Shelton on stage for multi-song appearances during his set, has enjoyed extensive radio and sales successes throughout his 20-year career.
Added Shelton: “These are some of the best people I’ve had on a tour. Brett Eldredge is going to be there with me. I’ve known that kid for many years now and it’s been fun to see his career grow – he’s a great singer and such a funny guy to be around. He’s ugly, but it just shows you that enough talent can break down those barriers and he’s been able to make it anyway. We’re also going to have Carly Pearce out there, and she’s had a breakthrough with her first hit this year. Then bringing along my longtime friend and brother Trace Adkins – and who knows what’s going to happen with him. To be honest we don’t even really have a plan yet, I just knew we needed to spend a little time together, and what better way than out on the road?”
Tickets for the 14-date run will go on sale on November 10. American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Friday, November 3 at 10 a.m. local time through Thursday, November 9 at 10 p.m. local time.
Shelton is teaming up with CID Entertainment once again to offer VIP Experiences throughout the tour. In 2018, packages will feature new perks including an autographed ‘Country Music Freaks’ Tour plaque and an exclusive BS’ers Lounge baseball cap. VIPs will also get access to the BS’ers Lounge where Blake will perform an acoustic set and answer fan questions.
“COUNTRY MUSIC FREAKS” TOUR DATES
Date City Venue
2/15/18 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
2/16/18 Lubbock, TX United Supermarkets Arena
2/17/18 Las Cruces, NM Pan American Center
2/22/18 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
2/23/18 Moline, IL TaxSlayer Center
2/24/18 St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center
3/2/18 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
3/3/18 Bossier City, LA CenturyLink Center
3/8/18 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
3/9/18 Greenville, SC Bon Secours Wellness Arena
3/10/18 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
3/15/18 Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena
3/16/18 Baltimore, MD Royal Farms Arena
3/17/18 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
TEXOMA SHORE TRACK LISTING
I’ll Name The Dogs (Matt Dragstrem, Ben Hayslip, Josh Thompson)
At The House (Jamie Moore, Craig Wiseman)
Beside You Babe (Abe Stoklasa, Mark Trussell)
Why Me (Ashley Gorley, Dallas Davidson, Ross Copperman)
Money (Craig Wiseman, James Bailey, Ryan Ogren)
Turnin’ Me On (Blake Shelton, Jessi Alexander, Josh Osborne)
The Wave (Josh Osborne, Ross Copperman)
Got The T-Shirt (Matt Jenkins, Jessi Alexander, Chase McGill)
Hangover Due (Craig Wiseman, Matt Dragstrem)
10. When The Wine Wears Off (Ashley Gorley, Rhett Akins, Ross Copperman)
11. I Lived It (Ashley Gorley, Ben Hayslip, Rhett Akins, Ross Copperman)
Photo Gallery: Lee Aaron at Niagara Falls’ Seneca Queen Theatre
All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com
Rod Stewart Announces Canadian Tour For 2018
Legendary two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Sir Rod Stewart returns to Canada in 2018 for a 10-date tour across the country, kicking off in Toronto on March 22 and wrapping up in Vancouver on April 10. Tickets for all dates on the tour will go on sale on Friday, November 3 at www.livenation.com. Complete list of dates below.
Sir Rod Stewart is one of the best-selling artists in the history of recorded music with 200 million records sold worldwide. With his signature voice, narrative songwriting, trendsetting style and passionate live performances he’s transcended all genres of popular music, from rock, folk, soul, R&B, new wave, and even the Great American Song Book; making him one of the few stars to enjoy chart-topping albums throughout every decade of his five decade-long career. As a singer and songwriter his hits include “Gasoline Alley,” “Every Picture Tells a Story,” “Mandolin Wind,” “You Wear It Well,” “The Killing of Georgie,” “Tonight’s the Night,” “You’re In My Heart (The Final Acclaim),” “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?,” “Young Turks,” “Forever Young,” “Hot Legs,” “Infatuation” and the indelible, “Maggie May.”
Stewart has performed for millions of fans on all seven continents, even holding the record for the largest-ever free concert, for an estimated 4.2 million in Rio de Janeiro on New Year’s Eve in 1996. In addition to touring, his Las Vegas residency, “Rod Stewart: The Hits,” at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace has remained one of the hottest tickets and best reviewed shows since its launch in 2011. He’s earned countless of the industry’s highest awards, among them; two inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the ASCAP Founders Award for songwriting, New York Times bestselling author, Grammy™ Living Legend, and in 2016 he officially became “Sir Rod Stewart” after being knighted by Britain’s Prince William at Buckingham Palace for his services to music and charity.
Rod Stewart Canadian Tour 2018
Tickets on sale Friday, November 3 at 10am here.
March 22 – Toronto, ON — Air Canada Centre
March 26 – Quebec, QC — Centre Videotron
March 27 – Montreal, QC — Bell Centre
March 30 – Ottawa, ON — Richcraft Live at Canadian Tire Centre
March 31 – London, ON — Budweiser Gardens
April 3 – Winnipeg, MB — Bell MTS Place
April 4 – Saskatoon, SK — SaskTel Centre
April 6 – Edmonton, AB — Rogers Place
April 8 – Calgary, AB — Scotiabank Saddledome
April 10 – Vancouver, BC — Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena
Thomas Dolby Breaks Down The Barriers Between Music and Technology In New Memoir
The Speed of Sound: Breaking the Barriers Between Music and Technology: A Memoir Paperback is the remarkable story of rising to the top of the music charts, a second act as a tech pioneer, and the sustaining power of creativity and art.
Thomas Dolby’s hit songs “She Blinded Me with Science” and “Hyperactive!” catapulted him to international fame in the early 80’s. A pioneer of New Wave and Electronica, Thomas combined a love for invention with a passion for music, and the result was a new sound that defined an era of revolutionary music. But as record company politics overshadow the joy of performing, Thomas finds a surprising second act.
Starting out in a rat-infested London bedsit, a teenage Thomas Dolby stacks boxes by day at the grocery and tinkers with a homemade synthesizer at night while catching the Police at a local dive bar, swinging by the pub to see the unknown Elvis Costello and starting the weekend with a Clash show at a small night club. London on the eve of the 1980s is a hotbed for music and culture, and a new sound is beginning to take shape, merging technology with the musical energy of punk rock. Thomas plays keyboards in other bands’ shows, and with a bit of luck finds his own style, quickly establishing himself on the scene and recording break out hits that take radio, MTV and dance clubs by storm. The world is now his oyster, and sold out arenas, world tours, even a friendship with Michael Jackson become the fabric of his life.
But as the record industry flounders and disillusionment sets in, Thomas turns his attention to Hollywood. Scoring films and computer games eventually leads him to Silicon Valley and a software startup that turns up the volume on the digital music revolution. His company barely survives the dotcom bubble but finally even the mavericks at Apple, Microsoft, Netscape and Nokia see the light. By 2005, two-thirds of the world’s mobile phones embed his Beatnik software. Life at the zenith of a tech empire proves to be just as full of big personalities, battling egos and roller-coaster success as his days spent at the top of the charts.
THE SPEED OF SOUND is the story of an extraordinary man living an extraordinary life, a single-handed quest to make peace between art and the digital world. You can get it here.