How I wish I was a tad older in the early 1980s, just to catch the very best of Bruce Springsteen. He was touring with the geniuses of the E Street Band to support The River, and now there’s a great video to relive, if you were there, or check out what we all missed.
Bruce delivered this performance at Arizona State University where he stopped as his tour as the presidential election concluded and Ronald Reagan became the President.
It’s spring-loaded and deliriously exciting stuff.
Back in November, Grimes released her technicolor new record, Art Angels. During The FADER’s cover story reporting back in the summer, we sat down with Canadian producer/singer Claire Boucher in her Los Angeles home to find out how she’s evolved the Grimes project, the misconceptions she has to deal with as a DIY artist, and what’s she learnt touring the world.
“At first, I guess, there was just Grimes,” she says in the documentary. “I don’t technically have control of her narrative anymore—she very much exists in pop culture now. Grimes as one person cannot represent more than a couple of ideas. That’s why I started developing some of the other characters, like really abstract from who I am and how I am.”
To celebrate the opening of Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: Ramones and the Birth of Punk, the borough of Queens declares April 10th, 2016 “Ramones Day”. Here’s the tribute video to the band that led the punk revolution in the US. 1-2-3-4!
Rockers United puts together benefit concerts, all-star jams and silent auctions with a slew of musicians to raise money and awareness to fight human trafficking in the United States.
They have just added their new PSA starring Nikki Sixx, Lemmy Kilmister, Mark McGrath and Nick Carter. The video is airing around major music festivals this summer.
Dramatic changes are in progress at Beatport. Effective Friday, May 13, the company will be shutting down its music and video streaming platforms, its mobile app, its Beatport News section and its Events vertical, according to a statement posted to the company’s website. The site will return its focus to the Beatport Store, which has been in operation for 12 years.
The announcement comes amid plans for its parent company, dance music promoter SFX Entertainment.
“Beatport has made a strategic decision to return to its roots, focusing its efforts on its flagship Beatport Store, the leading global source of electronic music for DJs and consumers,” SFX wrote in a statement provided to Billboard. “Going forward, SFX will concentrate its resources and efforts on supporting and enhancing the Beatport Store. We believe that these actions are essential to maintaining the viability of the business while directing resources to serving our core DJ customer base.”
Louis C.K. has learned the value of putting down his phone and actually paying attention to his kids.
“I’m a cookie-decorating mom. I don’t bake them. I decorate them.“ – Cher in 1999, as told to Benjamin Svetkey.
On a spring afternoon, Svetkey drove to Cher’s house in Malibu for an interview. Her assistant led him up to her bedroom where she was dressed in leopard print and resting on a leopard print bedspread.
Cher was open, honest, and forthcoming about the ups and downs of fame, being a mom, her gay following, the camp element of her persona, and how Sonny Bono changed her life. It’s vintage Cher.
“Oh, yeah. I’ve been “Cher” for a long time. Yeah, all my papers, my passport, my driver’s license. I never really felt my maiden name. I never really felt any last name ever in my life. I was always just “Cher,” so I just went and petitioned the court. What you have to prove is that you are absolutely recognizable to everyone by that one name.”
Real World Records, ex-Genesis founder and great musician Peter Gabriel came to do an event around the corner from the School of Life’s London HQ: a discussion on music, philosophy, science, therapy and… apes.
Celebrating their 20th Anniversary since starting the band, SUM 41 has announced their signing to Los Angeles’ Hopeless Records. This will mark the band’s first album in five years, following up 2011’s Screaming Bloody Murder, which featured the Grammy Nominated song “Blood In My Eyes.” The upcoming album was written, engineered and produced by lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Deryck Whibley.
On the signing, Whibley says, “It’s crazy to think that we started this band 20 years ago and so much has happened, and it all happened really fast. When I look back at everything it still feels like it’s all so recent. I think this a good thing because it still feels like there is still so much to do…which is why I am excited for a new album and to be releasing it with Hopeless Records.”
SUM 41, consisting of five members including Whibley, lead guitarist/backing vocalist Dave Baksh, co-lead guitarist/backing vocalist Tom Thacker, bassist/backing vocalist Jason McCaslin and drummer Frank Zummo, are excited about to join label mates and friends such as New Found Glory, The Used, Neck Deep, All Time Low and more.
Averaging more than 300 live performances per year, SUM 41 will hit the road this summer making their way across the US as part of the 2016 Warped Tour, beginning on June 22nd at the Road to Warped Tour in Anchorage, AK and wrapping on August 7th in Pomona, CA. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased, here: http://vanswarpedtour.com/dates/.
SUM 41 – Upcoming Tour Dates
Jun 22 – Road to Warped Tour 2016 – Anchorage, AK
Jun 24 – Amnesia Rockfest – Montebello, QC
Jun 26 – NRG Park – Main Street Lot – Houston, TX*
Jun 27 – Mardi Gras World – New Orleans, LA*
Jun 29 – The Fairgrounds Nashville – Nashville, TN*
Jun 30 – Lakewood Amphitheater – Atlanta, GA*
Jul 01 – Vinoy Park – St Petersburg, FL*
Jul 02 – Tinker Field – Orlando, FL*
Jul 03 – Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre – West Palm Beach, FL*
Jul 05 – PNC Music Pavilion – Charlotte, NC*
Jul 06 – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater – Virginia Beach, VA*
Jul 07 – Lakeview Amphitheater – Syracuse, NY*
Jul 08 – BB&T Pavilion – Camden, NJ*
Jul 09 – Nikon at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY*
Jul 10 – Xfinity Theatre – Hartford, CT*
Jul 11 – The Pavilion at Montage Mountain – Scranton, PA*
Jul 13 – Xfinity Center – Mansfield, MA*
Jul 14 – Darien Lake Theme Park – Darien Center, NY*
Jul 15 – First Niagara Pavilion – Burgettstown, PA*
Jul 16 – Merriweather Post Pavilion – Columbia, MD*
Jul 17 – PNC Bank Arts Center – Holmdel, NJ*
Jul 19 – Klipsch Music Center – Noblesville, IN*
Jul 20 – Blossom Music Center – Akron, OH*
Jul 21 – Riverbend Music Center – Cincinnati, OH*
Jul 22 – The Palace at Auburn Hills – Auburn Hills, MI*
Jul 23 – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater – Tinley Park, IL*
Jul 24 – Canterburry Park – Shakopee, MN*
Jul 26 – Marcus Amphitheatre – Milwaukee, WI*
Jul 27 – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Maryland Heights, MO*
Jul 28 – Providence Medical Center Amphitheater – Bonner Springs, KS*
Jul 30 – Utah State Park – Salt Lake City, UT*
Jul 31 – Pepsi Center Arena Lot – Denver, CO*
Aug 01 – Balloon Fiesta Park – Albuquerque, NM*
Aug 02 – Salt River Fields – Scottsdale, AZ*
Aug 05 – Quallcomm Stadium – San Diego, CA*
Aug 06 – Shoreline Amphitheater – Mountain View, CA*
Aug 07 – Pomona Fairplex – Pomona, CA*
Aug 11 – Rocco Del Schlacko Festival – Puttlingen
Aug 13 – Taubertal Festival – Rothenburg
Aug 14 – Sziget Festival – Budapest
Aug 18 – Open Air Gampel – Gampel
Aug 19 – Highfield Festival – Grossposna
Aug 20 – Lowlands Festival – Biddinghuizen
Aug 22 – And There Come The Wolves Festival – Wiesen
Aug 23 – Forum Karlin – Prauge
Aug 24 – Chiemsee Summer Festival – Ubersee
Aug 26 – Carroponte – Milan
* = Warped Tour
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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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