Today's Day in Rock
Scott Weiland Takes Legal Action Against Stone Temple Pilots
(Radio.com) After being unceremoniously fired in February and later sued by the band he helped to create, Scott Weiland has taken legal action against Stone Temple Pilots.
On Friday (May 31) Weiland filed a countersuit in Los Angeles, seeking in excess of $7 million in damages for what he believes was a conspiracy to oust him. In the complaint, Weiland poses the question, "How do you expel a man from the band that he started, named, sang lead on every song, wrote the lyrics, and was the face of for twenty years? You don't, but three of the instrumentalists from the band 'Stone Temple Pilots' tried."
Earlier this month, Weiland was shaken by the band's surprise performance at KROQ's Weenie Roast and the subsequent release of a new song ("Out of Time") featuring Linkin Park's Chester Bennington. Just days after the performance, the band filed a lawsuit claiming Weiland had sabotaged the band's 20th anniversary tour and had misappropriated the band's trademarked name and assets. STP sought to keep him from playing their songs on his solo tour.
"When I tour on my own, it's never as Stone Temple Pilots. It's as Scott Weiland. The fans deserve to know what they're getting," he posted in an open letter. "I don't give a f*** what they call themselves, but it's not Stone Temple Pilots."
Ironically, Weiland cited the same 1996 partnership agreement referenced in the band's original suit. More.
Lostprophets' Ian Watkins Denies Sex Charges
(Classic Rock) Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins has denied committing 23 sexual offences involving children. The 35-year-old appeared in Cardiff Crown Court yesterday via videolink alongside two women who are also accused.
Among Watkins' charges are two of raping a one-year-old girl, conspiracy to rape another child, sexual assault, aiding and abetting sexual assault and conspiracy to sexually assault a child.
He's further accused of making, taking and possessing indecent images, plus a 24th charge of possessing extreme pornographic images involving an animal.
The vocalist only spoke during the hearing to confirm his identity. Afterwards a statement from him was read outside court. Read what it said here.
Black Sabbath Streaming Entire New Album Online
Black Sabbath are giving their fans an advance listen to their forthcoming studio album, 13, by launching a free full album stream this week ahead of the album's release next week.
13 is Black Sabbath's first album with original lead singer Ozzy Osbourne since 1978 and features original guitarist Tony Iommi and original bass player Geezer Butler. The album, which was produced by Rick Rubin, can be streamed right now on the iTunes store here.
As we previously reported, the band will be launching a North American tour this summer to support the new album. The tour is set to kick off on July 25 in Houston at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion and will conclude on September 3rd in Los Angeles at the Sports Arena. more on this story
Eighteen Visions' Mick Morris Dead At 35
Former Eighteen Visions and Bleeding Through member Mick Morris died in his sleep on Sunday (June 2nd). He had reportedly been suffering from a heart condition. He was 35.
Morris's former co-workers said that he had been in and out of the hospital recently, he had been released, according to a report published by AltPress.com.
Morris worked as a guitar tech for Hatebreed after Eighteen Visions split up and Hatebreed's James Jasta tweeted the following tribute, "RIP Mick Deth.
"We had a lot of fun on the road. He worked hard for Hatebreed & we'll always be grateful for our time together."
U2 Putting Finishing Touches On New Album With Danger Mouse
(hennemusic) U2 have been busy at Electric Lady Studios in New York this past week putting the finishing touches on a new album, the band's first since 2009's "No Line On The Horizon."
They worked briefly with Lady Gaga producer RedOne, but soon settled on Danger Mouse who was at the famed studio completing his mixing work on the new, untitled album, reportedly due in the fall, according to Rolling Stone.
"We very much want to have a record out by the end of the year, September, October, November; that kind of time," bassist Adam Clayton said recently. "We're working with Danger Mouse, who's a smart guy. He's on it; he's excited. It's a great team and feels very liberating at the moment – anything goes.
"We have an abundance of riches, we could make three or four different records and justify that to ourselves, but to make the best record you can, you have to steer away from the ones you can make easily. We're really trying to get into territory that we're not comfortable in. If that makes sense." more on this story
The Eagles Expand North American Tour
The Eagles have expanded their North American History of the Eagles tour plans with the newly announced fall leg which is set to take place in October.
The new leg will be kicking off on October 4th in Lincoln, NE at the Pinnacle Bank Arena and will conclude on October 24th in St. Louis, MO at the Scottrade Center.
The early summer North American leg is set to begin on July 6th in Louisville, Kentucky at KFC Yum! Center and will wrap up on July 25th in Bethel, NY at Bethel Woods Center.
The band will then take the month of August off before kicking off a series of dates in September on the 6th in Vancouver, BC at the Rogers Arena. more on this story
Taylor Swift Performs With The Rolling Stones
(hennemusic) Taylor Swift was the featured guest Monday night in Chicago as the Rolling Stones played the 11th stop on their "50 & Counting" arena tour and video of the performance has been posted online.
The country superstar joined the Rolling Stones to perform the song "As Tears Go By," which comes from their 1965 album "December's Children (And Everybody's)."
Monday's show was the third and final date in the Windy City for the Stones over the past week; up next, they return to Toronto for a second show there on Thursday before playing Montreal on Sunday. Check out video of the performance here.
Dream Theater Set New Release Date For DVD and Blu-Ray
Eagle Rock have announced the new November 5th release date for the delayed Dream Theater live Blu-Ray and DVD package, Live At Luna Park.
The North America release of Live At Luna Park will come in various configurations including a Blu-Ray, 2DVD, 2DVD + 3CD, Blu-Ray + 3CD, Deluxe Edition with 40 page Book, Blu-Ray + 2DVD + 3CD, as well as an iTunes Digital Video.
The concert was captured over two nights at Luna Park Arena in Buenos Aires, Argentina in August of 2012 during Dream Theater's A Dramatic Tour Of Events world tour.
Live At Luna Park was originally schedule to be released this spring but was delayed. A statement about the new release date explains, "In an effort to make this project as special as possible, and deliver the ultimate live experience for Dream Theater fans, these delays proved necessary. It will be abundantly clear why the extra time was needed come November." You can watch a trailer here.
Yes To Launch Their Very Own Yestival Music Festival
Progress rock legends Yes have announced plans to launch their very own music festival this summer, which has appropriately been dubbed Yestival.
The inaugural Yestival will be a single full day event that will be taking place at the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, NJ on Saturday, August 3rd.
Yes will be headlining the event and announced plans to play their 1971's The Yes Album and 1972's Close To The Edge albums in their entirety at the show.
Yestival will also feature mainstage performances from The Musical Box, Renaissance featuring Anne Haslam, Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy, with additional artists still to be announced.
The festival will also feature a second stage with performances by up-and-coming progressive rock bands including Scale The Summit and a special appearance by The School Of Rock, and an art showing by Roger Dean, whose has provided the visuals and album covers for many bands including YES, Uriah Heep and Asia.
Chris Squire had this to say about the event, "This is a concept we've been trying to put into motion for some time, and only now we've been able to turn it into reality. We're looking forward to starting Yestival out in the Philadelphia area, which has been a Yes stronghold since the '70s."
Yestival will be taking place in the middle of Yes's current World Tour, where the band is performing the 3 albums 'The Yes Album', 'Close To The Edge' and 'Going For The One' in their entirety.
North American dates for the tour will kick off on July 6th in Paso Robles, CA at the Vina Robles Amphitheatre and will conclude on August 12th in Indianapolis, IN at the Murat Theatre, Old National Centre. more on this story
Sammy Hagar's Hometown Names Street In His Honor
(hennemusic) Sammy Hagar's hometown of Fontana, California has named a street after him: Hagar Way. There is no word yet if the new street carries a speed limit above or below 55 MPH.
The announcement was made Saturday as the Red Rocker served as the Honorary Grand Marshal of the Fontana Days Parade, part of the Fontana Days Festival Centennial Celebration.
"That is the most awesome thing," said Hagar to the Fontana crowd. "You don't know what that means to me. All over the world, they can give you honors and Grammy Awards and all them things, but something about - in your hometown, having a street named after you – that warms my heart.This is one of my favorite things that have been done for me in my whole career. Thank you." Check out video of the announcement here.
Bob Dylan To Receive France's Highest Honor
(Radio.com) Bob Dylan is about to kick off his AmericanaramA Tour, but he's about to receive France's highest honor. It was announced today (June 3) that the Legion d'Honneur awards committee confirmed the 72-year-old singer will receive France's highest award.
This was a bit controversial, apparently. As France's The Local (an English language publication that covers news about France) notes, France's Le Canard Enchainé reported that "Jean-Louis Georgelin, a French army general and Great Chancellor of the Légion d'honneur, was none too pleased to receive the name of Dylan," citing the songwriter's anti-war songs like "Blowin' In The Wind," and "his pot-smoking past" (possibly using songs like "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35″ as evidence).
But in a letter to the daily Le Monde published on Sunday, Georgelin called the singer-songwriter an "exceptional artist" known in the United States and internationally as a "tremendous singer and great poet."
Previous American recipients of the Legion d'Honneur award include Wynton Marsalis and Elie Wiesel, as well as hundreds of World War II veterans.
Dylan has yet to issue a statement about the honor, whose award shelf (if he has one) would also include numerous GRAMMYs, an Oscar, a Golden Globe, the Polar Music Prize, a Kennedy Center Honors medal, and membership in both the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. Last year, he added the Presidential Medal Of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor. more on this story
Bad Company Announce Leno and Rockline Appearances
Bad Company have a busy schedule leading up to their North American 40th anniversary tour with their late night television debut, an appearance on Rockline and a special event at the Grammy Museum.
The veteran classic rock band will be kicking things off this Wednesday when frontman Paul Rodgers will be the featured guest on the latest episode of the syndicated radio show Rockline.
Next Monday, June 10th, the band will be making their very first late night TV appearance when they perform on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.
Then on Tuesday, June 11th, the band will make a special appearance at The Grammy Museum in Los Angeles were they will be performing an intimate set and will be holding a rare Q&A with their fans.
That all leads up to Saturday, June 15th, when the band kicks off their North American 40th anniversary tour in Rancho Mirage, CA. The tour will include 30 shows (14 will be coheadlining dates with Lynyrd Skynyrd) before wrapping up on September 29 at the Los Angeles County Fair in Pomona.
Paul Rodgers had this to say about the trek, "When Mick and I formed the band we were amazed at the instant success. It didn't hurt to have Led Zeppelin behind us and I think we wrote some decent songs that still resonate. This one is for the fans." more on this story
Slash Needs Help Finding 'Old Friend'
Velvet Revolver and former Guns N' Roses guitar legend Slash has called on his fans to help him track down one of his long lost friends: a Gibson Les Paul.
Slash had this message for fans, "I'm trying to find a Les Paul that I used back in the early 90′s. I've since lost track of it. It was an 1989/90 Gibson Goldtop, serial #70854. I always loved that guitar and would be interested in buying it back from whomever has it…. I'll make it worth their while"
If you have any information on the location of this guitar you can email the details to SlashGibsonGoldtop@gmail.com. See photo of Slash with his long lost "friend" here.
Five Finger Death Punch Embrace Being Different On New Album
(Gibson) Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Zoltan Bathory says the band's new double album The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell embodies the band's philosophy of going outside the norm, especially in its approach to guest vocalists.
The first installment of the album includes Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford on the opening track as well as appearances by Max Cavalera (Soulfly/Cavalera Conspiracy, ex-Sepultura), Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed), Maria Brink (In This Moment) and, on a cover of LL Cool J's Mama Said Knock You Out, rapper Tech N9ne.
"I think it's a good position we have, to really do whatever we wanna do," Bathory told Metal Covenant. "We already have three records and even though there is progression, this is our sound. This is about the time people may get bored with what you do or you have to do some kind of a change or some kind of a progression."
The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell Volume 1 is scheduled for release on July 23 with Volume 2 following later in the year. And of course both discs feature guitarist Jason Hook and his signature Gibson M-4 Sherman Explorer. more on this story
Andrew Stockdale's New Solo Band Is Wolfmother
(Gibson) Andrew Stockdale says that even though he's broken up the band Wolfmother, his solo career is essentially the same thing by a different name.
In an interview with Noise11, Stockdale says his live band will continue to play gigs and will play Wolfmother hits like Woman and Joker And The Thief. And it's worth pointing out that his band is exactly the same line-up as the final incarnation of Wolfmother.
"We've got all our gear in the van right now," Stockdale says. "The guys in the band are here. We are playing gigs. We're just not calling it Wolfmother." Stockdale added that, "I was a solo guy who had a band name, like Queens of the Stone Age or Smashing Pumpkins, Icehouse."
However, he points out that he's still working with everyone who left the Wolfmother camp during the band's existence, including drummer Dave Atkins who played drums on the Cosmic Egg album.
Wolfmother's final gig was with Aerosmith in April. Stockdale's next release is a solo album titled Keep Moving, which will be released on June 11 in the USA. more on this story
Wilko Johnson Being Celebrated After Cancer News
(Classic Rock) Wilko Johnson is being celebrated more than ever since he announced that he is suffering from a terminal form of cancer, his manager is pleased to report.
Robert Hoy says: "Such is the interest in his history, influence and positive response to his diagnosis that, as well as the daily flow of goodwill messages and interview requests, there is even talk of a stage play based on his life.
"It seems that after a 40-year career, which many felt did not receive the recognition it deserved, Wilko is now becoming something of a national treasure."
Johnson recently recorded a Mastertapes session for BBC Radio 4, available as a free download here More rock news.
Joe Satriani Announces Unstoppable Momentum Tour
Joe Satriani has revealed extensive tour plans in support of his new album, "Unstoppable Momentum" including newly announce U.S. dates, his very first cross Canada tour, as well as a UK tour.
Satriani will be kicking things off next week with a UK tour that will launch this Saturday, June 8th, at the o2 Apollo in Manchester and wrapping up on June 18th in London at the IndigO2. He will be supported on that trek by Matt Schofield.
The acclaimed guitarist will return stateside this summer to launch his North American tour on August 29th in San Diego, CA and will conclude the tour on October 26 in Oakland, CA. The Steve Morse Band will be providing support on the tour until early October.
Satriani will be backed on the tour by Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa, Steve Vai) on keyboards, bassist Bryan Beller (Dethklok, Dweezil Zappa) and drummer Marco Minnemann (Adrian Belew, Steve Wilson). more on this story
Black Star Riders Added To Download Festival
(Classic Rock) Black Star Riders have been added to the bill for this year's Download festival on the main stage on June 15, replacing another band that pulled out.
The Thin Lizzy offshoot, fronted by Ricky Warwick, are also celebrating their debut album All Hell Breaks Loose reaching number 25 in the UK charts.
Warwick says: "Download is one of my favourite festivals and to be added to the main stage bill for this year with such a fantastic lineup – to say we are ecstatic is an understatement.
"It's going to be a great day. Thanks to all the support from everyone that's contributed to our success to date." more on this story
KISS Show Off New Spider Stage In New Video
(hennemusic) KISS are sharing a video tour of their new spider stage, which they unveiled Saturday as they kicked off their European tour at the Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
One of the main features of the new design is the giant spider, which brings the band to center stage at the opening of the show. The nearly 3 minute video shows the new spider stage in action.
In support of their current album, "Monster," KISS will play a mixture of headline shows and festival dates across Europe for the next three weeks before launching an extensive Canadian tour in early July. Check out the video here.
Metallica Star Stands By Lulu Experiment
(Classic Rock) Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo won't shy away from their fans' response to 2011 album Lulu, made in collaboration with Lou Reed, who recently underwent a life-saving liver transplant.
Trujillo says: "Obviously there were mixed reviews. Some people thought it was an amazing artistic statement. A lot of Metallica fans thought it was crap.
"You take chances and kind of go with the flow of it. That's the name of the game: be creative – sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't work." more rock news.
Mick Jagger Recounts Terrifying Arrest
(Classic Rock) Mick Jagger says his 1967 prison sentence was a terrifying experience and believes it should never have happened. He and Rolling Stones bandmate Keith Richards were put behind bars following a police raid on the guitarist's home, Redlands, in Sussex.
No charges had been brought at the time, but the pair were accused of drugs offences later. Jagger was sentenced to three months while Richards was given a year – but both decisions were overturned at appeal.
Last year it was suggested that the entire episode was a plot orchestrated by MI5 and the FBI, who wants to sabotage the Stones' career. Jagger tells Q: "It was scary. We were facing the prospect of a few months inside. Looking back, it was all a bit extreme. It was unnecessary and a waste of everyone's time and money. It was a bit silly, really."
He disagrees with Richards' light-hearted attitude to the experience. "It was nothing to be cavalier about," he says. "It was terrifying. But at the same time it did have its macabre, lighter moments.
"We weren't living in a police state; everyone wasn't against us. We had a lot of support in the press as well." more on this story
Megadeth Streaming Forget To Remember
(hennemusic) Megadeth are celebrating today's release of their brand new studio album, "Super Collider," by streaming another tracks from album online. This time it is a song called "Forget To Remember."
"The song touches on the no. 6 cause of death in America, Alzheimer's Disease, which my mother-in-law has been diagnosed with," guitarist Dave Mustaine tells New York Public Radio, "and our world is now upside-down. I did what I do best when I have something to say; I sing about it."
"Super Collider" is now available as a limited-edition CD with a 3-D cover and bonus tracks, regular CD, regular LP, limited LP plus seven-inch vinyl, and as a digital download. Check out the new song here.
Halestorm's Lzzy Hale Featured on Wikimetal
The latest episode of Wikimetal includes a featured interview with Halestorm lead singer and guitarist Lzzy Hale. The show sent over these details:
Lzzy talked to us about the birth of Halestorm, all their influences and told us how it was to win a Grammy competing against great names such as Iron Maiden, Megadeth and Anthrax.
Talking about being a role model for young girls, Lzzy says that "breaking some gender barriers has inspired so many young girls that come to shows to start a band – And that's the best thing in the world. To be someone's inspiration". Lzzy explains that a role model was something she missed while she was young.
You can listen to the full episode here or you can skip directly to the interview here.
Vampire Weekend Release Cameo Filled 'Diane Young' Video
(Radio.com) After the lyric video for "Diane Young" got them in hot water with Saab enthusiasts for burning several vehicles (as if there really are Saab enthusiasts), Vampire Weekend have released a new and energetic clip chock full of cameos from the indie music world.
Sitting around Vampire Weekend's candle-lit Last Supper table are: Santigold, Sky Ferreira, the Walkmen's Hamilton Leithauser, members of Chromeo, Dirty Projector's Dave Longstreth and a video-game-playing masked man who sits between the table's feuding members.
In a "Harlem Shake"-style, tempo-induced change of scenery, the table of party goers morph from humble dinner attendants to food-fighting, blender-loving anarchists; one of whom smokes copious amounts of pot through a saxophone. It all makes for an entertaining romp.
The New York-based foursome will finish off the summer hitting a myriad of festivals with several dates in the U.S. including Firefly, Lollapalooza and Outside Lands. Check out the video here.
Aerosmith's Steven Tyler Talks Epic With Craig Ferguson
(hennemusic) Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler made a return visit Monday night as a guest on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson. Tyler was on hand to promote his role in the new animated film, "Epic."
The movie is described as a 3D CG action-adventure comedy that reveals a hidden world unlike any other. From the creators of "Ice Age" and "Rio," "Epic" tells the story of an ongoing battle deep in the forest between the forces of good and the forces of evil. When a teenage girl finds herself magically transported into this secret universe, she must band together with a rag-tag team of fun and whimsical characters in order to save their world…and ours. Tyler plays Nim Galuu, the wise man of the forest.
The film stars Beyonce (Queen Tara), Colin Farrell (Ronin), Josh Hutcherson (Nod), Amanda Seyfried (Mary Katherine), Johnny Knoxville (Mandrake), Aziz Ansari (Mub), Pitbull (Bufo), Jason Sudeikis (Bomba), Blake Anderson (Dagda) and Judah Friedlander (Larry). Check out the TV appearance here.
The Story Behind Blink-182′s 'Enema Of The State' Album Art
(Radio.com) On June 1, 1999, Blink-182 released Enema of the State, an album that would go on to sell more than 15 million copies and change the band's lives forever.
The album boasted three major singles, each unique: the humor-driven "What's My Age Again?," midtempo love song (well, much as blink can do love songs) "All The Small Things" and suicide tale "Adam's Song."
As the '90s came to a close, the album transcended the pop-punk world and reached the mainstream. And with it, the album's cover became indelible, particularly in the minds of blink's many teenaged male fans; the cover art famously features adult film star Janine Lindemulder adorning a nurse uniform and rubber glove. According to bassist/singer Mark Hoppus, it took three tries to get the artwork correct.
During a reddit session from his London home Sunday, (June 2), Hoppus thanked loyal fans by revealing a few secrets about the pop-punk masterpiece. He wrote:
"Wow. 14 years. Thanks for the birthday wishes. Here's some trivia about the artwork. There are three different versions. Initial release version has the red cross on the nurse's hat and a capital B Blink-182. We'd always preferred the lower case b, so the artwork was changed to the second version: red cross on the nurse's hat, lower case b blink-182 (my favorite). We were then contacted by the Red Cross that, as we are in no way a medical organization (which I would debate. one time I changed a band-aid), we should not have a red cross on our artwork. If we continued using the red cross logo, we would be in violation of the Geneva Convention. (for real). Thus, the third iteration of the artwork: no red cross, lower case b blink-182.
"This record changed our lives. Thanks to everyone who has supported it through these years. It still makes me happy to be onstage and hear Tom start the opening riff of What's My Age Again. Looking forward to new music in the future." More
The Winery Dogs Release I'm No Angel Video
(Classic Rock) The Winery Dogs have released a video for their track I'm No Angel. Their self-titled debut album, which was released in Japan last month, will be launched further afield by Loud & Proud Records on July 23.
The band consists of Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan and Richie Kotzen and aims to be a classic rock power trio, citing influences ranging from Led Zep and Cream to Soundgarden and Lenny Kravitz.
Drummer Portnoy and bassist Sheehan brought Kotzen in to front the outfit after failing to establish a working rapport with John Sykes. Check out the new video here.
Crackjaw Premiere Headhunter Video
(Banana 101.5) Crackjaw are back with a new EP called 'Headhunter' and Banana 101.5 have your exclusive first look at the Sean Babas directed music video for the title track.
'Headhunter' was produced by Matt Dalton at 37 Studios. The title track seems like it could carry a lot of different meanings, but started a story about, "someone going after someone," says frontman Ian Thomas.
"It's really about vigilante justice," explains Thomas, "and [someone] that doesn't have the moxie to pull it off all on their own, but is too stubborn to admit it."
The hard hitting track serves as the soundtrack to their new music video, which Thomas says was inspired by the visual stylings of films like Rob Zombie's 'The Devil's Rejects' and David Fincher's American adaptation of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' — a concept bass player Rian Pennanen conceived initially. The clip features a lot of visually pleasing black light effects and glowing paints, which Thomas says took approximately "2.5 showers" to remove. "I still had eyeliner on the next day." Check out the video here.
Foster the People Perform New Songs At Secret Show
(Radio.com) For the encore of Foster the People's brief secret show at Los Angeles' Troubadour Sunday night (June 2), frontman Mark Foster hesitantly took a seat behind a keyboard and settled into a gorgeous, self-conscious new tune called "Fire Escape."
"Los Angeles, I've waited for you to pick yourself up and change," Foster sang dreamily, the tension in his body melting away as he dug into the ode to his hometown. It's the place he "cut his teeth at places like Molly Malone's," dreaming that one day he'd get to take the coveted Troubadour stage.
Six keyboards, a number of drums and a whole slew of other instruments were sprawled across the large stage, but the sold-out show itself felt small. Bodies clustered together intimately and when the band played songs like "Helena Beat," "Life on the Nickel" and "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)," dance parties ensued, amazingly free of recording devices or iPhones.
While walking into the venue, the audience was strictly encouraged not to take pictures. Lalo Medina, known to many as Jack White's right-hand man, came onstage right before Foster the People went on to ask people if anyone had ever seen a YouTube video online taken at a show as good as the show itself. No one responded and the audience was pretty good at keeping their phones down, especially with security guards flashing lights into people's eyes when they even so much as took their phone out of their pockets.
But the vibe wasn't ruined by the phone policing, and Foster the People were effectively able to bring their energy "back to the grass floor," as Foster said — back to the days before distractions during shows, when fans could only focus on anything but scouring Twitter to see who else was hiding in the crowd. It also seemed a comforting reminder to Foster, who brought a rare, refreshing vulnerability to his performance. He told the audience that Foster the People's forthcoming sophomore album, set for release later this year, felt like a "new birth" and a "new beginning" for the band, a group of young locals who blew up overnight and barely had time to breathe in 2012. more on this story
Sites & Sounds: June Music Festivals
With the passage of Memorial Day, the summer music festival season starts to heat up and antiMusic Travel Editor Kevin Wierzbicki gives us the details about some of music festivals that are taking place this month.
Stuart Beach Music Festival
June 6-8, Stuart, Virginia
Also known as the Hot Fun in the Summertime Festival, this beach music blow-out has a line-up featuring Bill Pinkney's Original Drifters, Band of Oz, the Embers, Mark Roberts Band, Atlantic Groove, Coastal Cruz'rs, Darrell Harwood, After Jack and Foddrells. The shows take place in the beautiful setting of Wayside Park just outside Stuart in the foothills of southside Virginia. Stuart is about an hour away from both Roanoke and Greensboro, North Carolina. www.stuartbeachmusic.com and www.virginia.org
Northside Festival
June 13-20, Brooklyn, New York
This festival takes place at various venues in the Williamsburg and Greenpoint areas of Brooklyn and highlights "what's next" in music, film and entrepreneurship. The headlining band will be Black Flag; this will be their first NYC appearance in 26 years. Other acts on the bill include Swans, Iceage, Lambchop, Son Volt, Twin Sister, the Soft Moon, Chelsea Wolfe, Destruction Unit, Kisses, Lower and a special collaboration of Rhys Chatham & Oneida. www.northsidefestival.com
Washboard Music Festival
June 14-15, Logan, Ohio
Held in southeast Ohio's Hocking Hills, this festival celebrates America's Appalachian culture and heritage with parades, rides, a car show, arts & crafts from local artisans, festival-style foods, a beer garden and plenty of live music. Scheduled to appear are Arnett Howard and the Creole Funk Band, the Smokin' Fez Monkeys, Blue Lunch, the Sodbusters, the Wayfarers, Buffalo Ridge Jazz Band, HB7, Robin Lacy and Dezydeco, the Juggernaut Jug Band and more. The "Washer Woman" will also be on hand to show you how the washboard was once popularly used to do laundry and you can also take a free tour of the Columbus Washboard Company to see how washboards are made. All shows are free. Logan is about 40 miles outside of Columbus. www.washboardmusicfestival.com
Clearwater Festival
June 15-16, Croton-on-Hudson, New York
This festival was started by none other than Pete Seeger himself, who 40-years ago came up with the idea of raising money and awareness in an effort to help clean up the at-the-time toxic Hudson River. Over the years the festival has expanded greatly beyond its folk origins; some of the acts scheduled to appear this year include Kris Kristofferson, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Son Volt, ex Drive-By Truckers Patterson Hood and Jason Isbell, Hot Tuna, David Bromberg, Judy Collins, Mavis Staples, Antibalas, Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, Vieux Farka Toure, Buffy Sainte-Marie and many others. The 94-year old Seeger will also appear in performance with long-time collaborator Lorre Wyatt. www.clearwaterfestival.org
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