Tag: News

A Conversation With, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call, Music

Legendary musician Todd Rundgren on his career and his tribute to Burt Bacharach

Burt Bacharach wrote one the most beloved songbooks in all of popular music — timeless classics like “Walk On By,” “Alfie,” “I Say A Little Prayer” and “What’s New Pussycat,” which have been recorded by legends like Dionne Warwick, Tom Jones, Aretha Franklin and Barbara Streisand, to name but a few.

Although he passed away in 2023, Bacharach’s music and influence continues to be celebrated around the world.

On Friday, Bacharach fans will be able to take part in a one-of-a-kind experience, “The Bacharach Songbook Live,” at Wind Creek Event Center. Led by longtime Burt Bacharach music director Rob Shirakbari, the show will feature a nine-piece ensemble that’s worked with artists like Stevie Wonder, Adele, Dionne Warwick, Brian Wilson and Aretha Franklin.

Another legendary artist, Todd Rundgren, will also take part in the performance, where he’ll be covering some of his own personal favorite Bacharach songs.

I recently spoke with Todd Rundgren about “The Bacharach Songbook Live” and the influence Bacharach’s music had on him. We also discuss his early band The Nazz, production work, a few memorable moments and more in this exclusive new interview.

Q: How did this celebration of Burt Bacharach come about? What inspired it?

Todd Rundgren: Well, it wasn’t really inspired by me because I had sort of sworn off doing tribute shows after I finished one celebrating the music of David Bowie. But then the producers of the David Bowie thing came to me with the Bacharach idea and I realized that there was too much Bacharach in my music to avoid doing it. In some ways it was closer to me than a lot of the other stuff we’d done. I think that will make it more fun to do.

You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview by Clicking Here.

A Conversation With, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call, Music

Toad the Wet Sprocket coming to Wind Creek Event Center with Gin Blossoms, Vertical Horizon
Photo: Chris Orwig

Toad the Wet Sprocket, with its trio of founding members Glen Phillips, Todd Nichols and Dean Dinning, is still making music and touring with the same unwavering spirit of independence that made them one of the most seminal bands of the 1990s.

Toad’s third album, Fear, still ranks big on any ’90s playlist and songs like “All I Want,” and “Walk on the Ocean,” catapulted the band from college campus soundtracks to radio rotation royalty. Their music also found its way onto popular ’90s TV shows like “Friends,” “Dawson’s Creek,” and “Buffy The Vampire Slayer.”

The band took a break in the late ’90s but reunited in 2006 and has since released two albums, including 2021’s Starting Now.

Toad the Wet Sprocket is currently part of a tour that includes themselves as well as Gin Blossoms and Vertical Horizon. It’s a show that stops at the Wind Creek Event Center on Thursday, Aug. 15.

I recently spoke with bassist Dean Dinning about the show, what makes Toad the Wet Sprocket’s music so timeless all these years later and more in this new interview.

Q. Can you tell a little about the inspiration behind this tour and what fans can expect?

Dean Dinning: I used to go to concerts in Santa Barbara [California] where you would see two or three bands playing and it always seemed like everyone was friends and would come out and jam on each other’s songs. I always thought that was the most fun thing you could possibly do, and that’s really what this tour is like. These guys are all friends of ours. We’ve known the Gin Blossoms since 1992. They were the first band we ever got to pick to be an opener for our whole tour. It will be a fun vibe and I think people will really enjoy it.

You can read the rest of my interview with Dean Dinning by clicking here.

News

Hard Rock Icons WHITESNAKE Announce The Purple Album, New Tour

PurpleRock icons Whitesnake are set to return with their 12th studio album this spring. The Purple Album will be released in North America on May 19th via Frontiers Music SRL. The Purple Album is a re-imagination of classic songs from David Coverdale’s time as the lead singer for Deep Purple’s Mark 3 and Mark 4 studio albums.

The album is currently available for pre-order on Amazon in a deluxe edition format featuring 2 bonus tracks, 4 music videos and a Behind The Scenes featurette on the recording of the album. A standard edition and a double LP vinyl format will be available in the near future. Plans are also underway for a special limited box set edition with memorabilia and merchandise. All details will be announced soon.

“It’s a tribute. A homage. It’s a huge thank you from me to Deep Purple for the opportunity I was given over 40 years ago,” states Coverdale. “As I said to Ritchie, you guys set me on an incredible journey that continues today and I couldn’t have asked for better teachers. The University of Deep Purple was an extraordinary, amazing school to learn from. We can’t wait to play these songs in concert!”

From the opening notes of the classic track “Burn,” to album closer “Stormbringer,” Whitesnake are back and better than ever. Songs like “Lady Double Dealer,” “Soldier of Fortune” and “Sail Away” are given a new energy in the very capable hands of the current Whitesnake lineup featuring David Coverdale on vocals, Reb Beach and Joel Hoekstra on guitars, Michael Devin on bass and Tommy Aldridge on drums.

Click below for video of the first single, “Stormbringer’:

The Purple Album: Tracklisting:

1)       Burn

2)       You Fool No One (interpolating Itchy Fingers)

3)       Love Child

4)       Sail Away

5)       The Gypsy

6)       Lady Double Dealer

7)       Mistreated

8)       Holy Man

9)       Might Just Take Your Life

10)    You Keep On Moving

11)    Soldier Of Fortune

12)    Lay Down Stay Down

13)    Stormbringer

 

Deluxe Edition Bonus Tracks

14)    Lady Luck

15)    Comin’ Home

 

DVD Content:

Lady Double Dealer – Music Video

Sail Away – Mix Music Video

Stormbringer – Music Video

Soldier Of Fortune – Music Video

Purple Album Behind The Scenes

Purple Album EPK

Whitesnake – U.S. Tour Dates:

May 28th Airway Heights, WA Northern Quest Casino
May 29th Tacoma, WA Emerald Queen Casino
May 31st Vancouver, BC Hard Rock Casino
Jun 2nd Santa Rosa, CA Wells Fargo
Jun 4th Las Vegas, NV The Joint
Jun 5th Scottsdale, AZ Talking Stick Pool Amp
Jun 6th Pala, CA Pala Casino – Starlight Theater
Jun 9th Beverly Hills, CA Saban Theatre
Jun 11th San Francisco, CA Regency Ballroom
Jun 15th Colorado Springs, CO Pikes Peak Center
Jun 17th Shawnee, OK Grand Events Center
Jun 19th Biloxi, MS Hard Rock
Jun 22nd Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theater
Jun 23rd San Antonio, TX Majestic Theater
Jun 25th El Paso, TX Socorro Event Center
Jun 27th Greeley, CO Greeley Independence Stampede
Jul 2nd Rama, ON Casino Rama
Jul 3rd Sterling Heights, MI Freedom Hill Amphitheatre
Jul 5th  Northfield, OH Hard Rock
Jul 7th Huber Heights, OK Music Center @ The Heights
Jul 8th Wabash, IN Honeywell Center
Jul 10th Mahnomen, MN Shoot Star Casino
Jul 11th St. Paul, WI Myth
Jul 14th Clear Lake, IA Surf Ballroom
Jul 18th Merrillville, IN Star Plaza
Jul 20th Greensburg, PA Palace Theater
Jul 22nd Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino
Jul 24th Lincoln, RI Twin River Casino
Jul 25th Atlantic City, NJ Trump Taj Mahal
Thought and Opinion

In The Dead of Night

I was driving into work this morning around 5:30 am and was listening to a news update. Something I always do to fill the silence of my morning commute and also because I can’t listen to heavy music that early.

I know, shocker right? Nope, it’s either smooth jazz or news that early in the morning and most of the time I choose the latter.

I usually look forward to these drives. Not because I like being up this early and have to go to work but because the drive itself is therapeutic. I can find out everything that’s going on in the world and then drown all that sorrow into my morning coffee.

One of the top stories today was about the continuing increase in the cost of gasoline. In a feeble attempt to bring a bit of humor into the subject the news anchor said: “In case you haven’t noticed, gas prices rose two-cents overnight while you were sleeping.”

I didn’t find that line particularly funny. On the contrary, I think this is quite serious. Has anyone else noticed the pattern of things like this happening in the dead of night while we sleep?

If it’s not gas prices rising a few pennies shortly after the Sandman visits it’s legislation in Washington. Why is it that controversial bills and decisions that affect the American people always seem to be passed around three in the morning?

We really need to take some action now before this pandemic gets even more out of control. What if we put some high-powered sedatives into these decision makers drinks after 8pm? That should put them out for the night and allow me to get a decent night’s sleep and not have to sacrifice my morning Starbucks in favor of a half a gallon of gas.

There has to be some consideration for the sanctity of sleep.

Isn’t it bad enough they already screw me while I’m awake?

Top Headlines

Today’s Headlines: February 17th, 2012

I swear, you just can’t make this stuff up. It’s ridiculous. It makes me reconsider just what journalism majors are being taught in college. It’s certainly not good reporting.

News media websites in particular are becoming more and more blatantly biased and not taking things seriously. Either that or they’ve just gone off the deep end.

Here are a few legitimate headlines from various “news” websites around the Internet this morning. I have not doctored them up in any way. These are actual headlines, many of which displayed as one of the “Top” stories of the day.

From Yahoo!:

Plane carrying marijuana strays into Obama LA Airspace: I’ve heard about pizzas being delivered but never knew there was a Mary Jane Express. Hmmmm, could it be that SOMEONE is having a party?  I wonder who’s bringing the munchies?

From FoxNews:

‘Underwear Bomber’ gets life in prison’: I don’t know about you, but I sure wouldn’t want the name “Underwear Bomber” to be associated with me. I can just imagine the abuse this guy’s going to take spending life in the pokey. It sounds too generic. Wouldn’t a better name have been “The Bugle Boy Bomber” or maybe “The Fruit of the Loom Annihilator“?

From MSNBC:

FDA warns of mouth-destroying toothbrushes: Thanks a lot FDA… as if I didn’t already have enough problems trying to get my kid to brush her teeth.

From The Huffington Post:

‘Half Head’ Mugshot Subject Explains Half Head: I don’t even wanna know about this one….

From CNN:

George Clooney’s open to marriage: Well, I’m glad we figured that one out. I don’t know what I’d do if he wanted to be single for the rest of his life.

and finally (I just couldn’t resist on this one):

Dems ask ‘Where are the women?’: Is Bill Clinton running for office again! 😉