Review: Rock Orchestra pulls off marriage of rock, classical music in Pittsburgh showVideo
It’s been more than 40 years since the likes of AC/DC or Motörhead played the Stanley Theatre in Pittsburgh. But their songs — albeit in vastly reimagined versions — found new life Monday night at the Benedum Center (formerly known as the Stanley Theatre). In around 90 minutes, a show...
Fan at Taylor Swift concert dies amid Rio De Janeiro’s record heat wave
A fan died at Taylor Swift’s Rio de Janeiro concert Friday night, during a record-breaking heat wave. Ana Clara Benevides, a 23-year-old psychology student, fainted in the front row of the concert and was given 40 minutes of CPR on-site before being taken to the hospital, where she died, her...
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and singer Cassie settle lawsuit alleging abuse 1 day after it was filed
NEW YORK — A lawsuit by singer Cassie containing allegations of beatings and abuse by music producer Sean “Diddy” Combs has been settled, the artists announced Friday, one day after the lawsuit was filed. The settlement was announced in a statement sent by attorney Douglas Wigdor, who represents Cassie, whose...
George Brown, drummer and co-founder of Kool & The Gang, dead at 74Video
NEW YORK — George “Funky” Brown, the co-founder and longtime drummer of Kool & The Gang who helped write such hits as “Too Hot,” “Ladies Night,” “Joanna” and the party favorite “Celebration,” died Thursday in Los Angeles at age 74. Brown died after a battle with cancer, according to a...
Marijuana master Snoop Dogg announces he’s giving up smoking
Pot proponent Snoop Dogg is seemingly dropping his obsessive weed habit. The 16-time Grammy-nominated hip-hop star, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, announced on Thursday that he’s giving up smoking. “After much consideration & conversation with my family, I’ve decided to give up smoke. Please respect my privacy at this...
Billy Porter hits the dance floor on his 5th album with the goal of ‘trying to heal people’Video
NEW YORK — Billy Porter is strutting off in an entirely new sonic direction on his fifth album. The Broadway, runway and TV star has pivoted to dance music. “I’m a new artist. There’s a transformation that has happened,” the Tony-, Emmy- and Grammy-winner tells The Associated Press. “I’ve been...
John Dyer Baizley of Baroness on creating ‘Stone’ album, artwork and glockenspielVideo
For a band that’s been around for 20 years, Baroness is finally experiencing some lineup stability. Their latest release “Stone,” which came out in September, is the first time in the metal band’s history that the same four members created a second album together. That chemistry allowed the band to...
Conservative Muslims in Indonesia protest Coldplay concert over the band’s LGBTQ+ support
JAKARTA, Indonesia — More than 200 conservative Muslims marched in Indonesia’s capital on Wednesday, calling for the cancellation of a Coldplay concert that night over the British band’s support for the LGBTQ+ community. The protesters, marching about half a mile away from the concert venue in Jakarta where the band...
Pink will give 2,000 banned books to Florida fans, says she’s ‘unwilling to stand by’
Pink wants her fans to read banned books. The Grammy winner announced this week that she intended to give away 2,000 banned books during the Florida leg of her tour. “Books have held a special joy for me from the time I was a child, and that’s why I am...
Book Review: Rock ‘n’ roller and Rush pioneer Geddy Lee goes deep in his memoir, ‘My Effin’ Life’
Geddy Lee is a rock star, that’s undeniable. But he’s also a polite Canadian to the core. So it’s fitting that the Rush icon picked a not-too-bawdy title for his memoir. “My Effin’ Life” is an engrossing tale of a “classic underachiever” who became a Rock & Roll Hall of...
Bryan Adams returning to Pittsburgh with So Happy It Hurts tourVideo
Chart-topping Canadian singer/songwriter Bryan Adams is bringing his So Happy It Hurts to Pittsburgh next year. Adams, who ruled radio in the 1980s and 1990s with songs like “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You,” “Cuts Like a Knife,” “Heaven” and “All for Love” among others, will play PPG...
Drake adds 2nd night at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh next yearVideo
Drake’s It’s All a Blur — Big as the What? tour is coming to Pittsburgh next year, with a second show added Friday. The Grammy Award-winning singer/rapper will play Feb. 16 and 17 at PPG Paints Arena, with J. Cole opening the show. Drake, who’s known for songs like “Hotline...
Donnie Iris ‘doing great,’ set to return to Pittsburgh stage in 2024Video
Donnie Iris is returning to the stage for his first Pittsburgh concert in more than a year. The veteran Pittsburgh rock band Donnie Iris & the Cruisers will play UPMC Events Center on March 16. The Vindys will be a special guest with more bands to be announced. Iris celebrated...
Move over Thanksgiving, Christmas music is here
Face it: Once the last kid leaves your porch with Halloween candy, it’s Christmas season. Oh, you can try to cover yourself in all things Thanksgiving until after turkey day. But we all know the truth. And streaming music stations know it too. They’re already playing it. SiriusXM officially launched...
SZA leads 2024 Grammy nominations as women outpace men in leading categories
LOS ANGELES — Killing her ex? That’s a bad idea. Writing “Kill Bill” and releasing her critically acclaimed sophomore album “SOS” earlier this year? That was a great one. SZA is the lead contender for the 66th Grammy Awards, with nine nominations announced Friday. “Kill Bill,” her revenge anthem cloaked...
2024 Grammy nomination snubs and surprises: No K-pop, little country and regional Mexican music
LOS ANGELES — With new categories, SZA, and “Barbie” — there’s a lot to discuss regarding the 2024 Grammy Award nominations. Who didn’t make the cut? What were the best surprises of all? Let’s take a look. New blood? There’s a lot to love about the nominations for the 66th...
’90s-era Pittsburgh ska outfit Skankin’ Homer to play rare reunion show on Saturday
Brian Seese returned to his native Pittsburgh in 1996 after two years in Las Vegas with a bug on his mind. “I wanted to start a ska band,” said Seese, now 48, a utility company worker and father of two who’s planning to move from Butler County to Bellevue. “I...
Indie trio AJR bringing The Maybe Man tour to Pittsburgh next summerVideo
AJR, an indie pop trio comprised of brothers Adam, Jack and Ryan Met, are hitting the road for their first arena tour, which includes a stop in Pittsburgh. The multi-platinum group bring their The Maybe Man tour to PPG Paints Arena on June 25, 2024. Their fifth and latest album,...
Hozier extends Unreal Unearth tour to include summer stop at Star LakeVideo
Irish singer-songwriter Hozier is extending his Unreal Unearth tour into 2024, with a stop planned for the Pittsburgh area. The indie folk darling, best known for his 2013 hit “Take Me to Church,” will play July 29 at the Pavilion at Star Lake on a tour named after his latest...
Lainey Wilson wins 5 CMA Awards including entertainer of the year, album of the year
Lainey Wilson took home five trophies including entertainer of the year Wednesday night at the Country Music Association Awards. The 31-year-old Louisiana singer was the undisputed star of the night at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, where she also was named female vocalist of the year, won album of the year for...
CMA Awards will pay tribute to Jimmy Buffett during a show hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The CMA Awards are back Wednesday to honor the top artists in country music, with Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, Ashley McBryde and Morgan Wallen among the acts hitting the stage. Wilson is the leading nominee for the second year in a row, competing for entertainer of the...
Singer Don McLean on the lasting legacy of ‘American Pie,’ new music and cancel cultureVideo
Singer Don McLean considers himself lucky that he still actually enjoys the song that made him famous. That would be “American Pie,” the nearly nine-minute anthem that sits in the top 5 in the “Songs of the Century” list by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment...
Rapper Frzy to perform with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Harvey Daniels has a DVD of Jay-Z performing with the London Symphony Orchestra, which was the first time a hip-hop star collaborated with a full orchestra. Daniels, the rapper known as Frzy, watches that DVD before every performance he does. Daniels will create a similar production with the Pittsburgh Symphony...
That Taylor Swift reporter job has been filled by a self-proclaimed Swiftie
LOS ANGELES — After much excitement and controversy, USA Today has hired its first-ever Taylor Swift reporter. The Gannett-owned publication announced Monday that Bryan West, an award-winning journalist, began working on the Swift beat from the chain’s the Tennessean, based near Nashville, Tenn. He joined that paper’s music team, but...
Kenny Chesney set to return to Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium in 2024Video
Kenny Chesney will headline his 12th stadium show in Pittsburgh — but his first officially at Acrisure Stadium — next spring. The chart-topping country singer is bringing his Sun Goes Down tour to the North Shore on June 1. He’ll be joined by Zac Brown Band, Megan Moroney and Uncle...
