Foo Fighters plan 2 tribute concerts for Taylor Hawkins
NEW YORK — Foo Fighters will honor the rock band’s late drummer Taylor Hawkins with a pair of tribute concerts in September — one in London and the other in Los Angeles. The twin shows will take place Sept. 3 at London’s Wembley Stadium and Sept. 27 at The Kia...
Iconic rockers Blondie to issue 1st box set this summer
NEW YORK — Blondie has figured out where to put their heart of glass — a big ‘ol box. The iconic rockers said Wednesday they will release their first authorized collection in their 50-year history, a huge box set that includes 124 tracks, 36 of which were never issued. “Blondie:...
Jim Seals of ’70s group Seals and Crofts dies at age 80
NEW YORK — Jim Seals, who teamed with fellow musician “Dash” Crofts on such 1970s soft-rock hits as “Summer Breeze,” “Diamond Girl” and “We May Never Pass This Way Again,” has died at age 80. His death was announced Tuesday by several people including John Ford Coley, who had formed...
Three Rivers Arts Festival returns in new setting
The 2022 Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival opened Friday as a full in-person event for the first time since 2019. And the festival has added to its storied history by opening in a new setting — Downtown’s Cultural District, rather than its previous home in Point State Park. With...
5 questions with WDVE’s Randy Baumann about his ‘Ramble’ show
After a two-year hiatus caused by covid, “Randy Baumann’s Ramble” is back. Baumann, the popular host of the WDVE Morning Show on 102.5 FM, is an accomplished musician, keyboard player and guitarist. Each year he invites fellow Pittsburgh musicians to join him on stage to perform songs drawn from the...
Spotify podcasters are making $18,000 a month with nothing but white noise
People on the prowl for a new podcast to consume often go for a stimulating option like a political debate or a true crime mystery to quicken the pulse. But when the din of the world becomes too much, listeners often need the opposite vibe: something soothing and sedating, maybe...
Eric Clapton cancels Pittsburgh concert date
The forever man is forgoing his Pittsburgh concert date. Legendary rock and blues guitarist Eric Clapton has removed a performance scheduled for Sept. 16 at PPG Paints Arena from his current tour and replaced it with a gig at Boston’s TD Garden for the same date. Clapton gave no reason...
It’s an upset: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ tops DVE Memorial Day 500
You might say it was a case of another one biting the dust in WDVE radio’s Memorial Day 500. The holiday weekend countdown of the top 500 classic rock songs of all time has often seen Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” ascend to the top of the list. It has...
Frankie Avalon joins forces with Fabian for Rivers Casino show
A couple of legendary ’50s and ’60s crooners, Frankie Avalon and Fabian, will be appearing together as “Dick Fox’s Golden Boys” on Aug. 27 at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh on the North Shore. Both were teen idols, as they were called back in their heyday. Avalon had a string of hits...
Lower Burrell tenor to perform at Oakland’s Carnegie Music Hall before leaving for Juilliard
Ernie Clowes heard a familiar sound coming from across the street. He said he thought to himself, “Wow, there must be a neighbor who loves opera like I do. They must be playing it on the radio.” It wasn’t coming over the air waves. The powerful voice was that of...
Westmoreland Cultural Trust’s TGIS concerts include new acts, old favoritesVideo
Josh Jams, a one-man jam band with an improvised set list driven by audience requests, will kick off the 18th season of TGIS (Thank Goodness It’s Summer), the popular outdoor summer concert series hosted by Westmoreland Cultural Trust. The free series opens at 6 p.m. Thursday on the lawn of...
Turn it up: Car audio competition set for Sunday in GreensburgVideo
“Just kick a little somethin’ for the cars that be bumpin’.” That’s the admonition that kicks off “The Boomin’ System,” the first track on old-school rapper LL Cool J’s landmark album, “Mama Said Knock You Out,” and it extols the virtues of having a high-powered sound system in the car....
Best rock song of all time? It’s in the ear of the beholder
The WDVE Memorial Day 500 returns this weekend for the fourth year since taking a 20-year hiatus. It begins at 10 a.m. Friday. Back in the day, it was a pretty good bet that Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” would come out on top. But a funny thing happened when...
Andy Fletcher, Depeche Mode co-founder and keyboardist, dies at 60
Andy Fletcher, a founding member of multiplatinum synth-pop band Depeche Mode, has died. He was 60. The keyboard player helped define the sound of 1980s and ’90s alternative music and beyond through hits such as “Just Can’t Get Enough,” “Personal Jesus,” “Enjoy the Silence” and “People Are People.” Fletcher’s death...
Steven Tyler enters treatment, Aerosmith cancels showsVideo
BOSTON — Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has voluntarily entered a rehabilitation program, forcing the Boston-based rock band to cancel the first portion of its upcoming Las Vegas residency. Tyler, 74, has made no secret of his lifelong struggle with substance abuse disorder. “As many of you know, our beloved brother...
Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band to tour in U.S., Europe
NEW YORK (AP) — The Boss is hitting the road again, and the E Street Band band is coming with him. The rockers announced Monday that they will begin an arena tour in February in the United States, followed by stadium shows beginning in April in Europe. Details on the...
Pittsburgh’s August Wilson Center stages all-female ‘Uproar’ opera
An opera based on the life of a Swiss woman who dressed as a man, converted to Islam and lived as an outcast in Algeria will be presented Saturday at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center. “Song from the Uproar: The Lives and Deaths of Isabelle Eberhardt,” featuring a...
Ed Sheeran announces birth of 2nd daughter
LONDON — British singer-songerwriter Ed Sheeran has announced the birth of his second daughter, saying he and his wife, Cherry Seaborn were “over the moon” at the baby’s arrival. The Grammy award-winner posted a picture of baby socks on his Instagram site. “We are both so in love with her,”...
Lineup for Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival announced
With an emphasis on diversity, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has unveiled its full lineup of performers and visual artists for the 2022 Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival. The festival takes place from June 3 through June 12. “This year is going to be special,” said Sarah Aziz, director of...
Jerry Lee Lewis, Keith Whitley to join Country Hall of Fame
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Jerry Lee Lewis, the late country singer Keith Whitley and music executive Joe Galante will join the Country Music Hall of Fame. Lewis, 86, nicknamed “The Killer,” wore a red sequined jacket and white shoes at Tuesday’s announcement, where he was...
Lady Gaga to perform in Hershey this summer
One of the biggest names in pop music will be making her Hershey debut this summer. Lady Gaga, the star behind songs like “Just Dance,” “Bad Romance,” “Rain on Me” and “Poker Face” will bring The Chromatica Ball tour to the Hersheypark Stadium this August. The show will be the...
Eric Clapton schedules Pittsburgh show for same night as Elton JohnVideo
Guitar legend Eric Clapton will play PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on Sept. 16, as part of a five-city, seven-date tour. Guitarist Jimmy Vaughn will join Clapton for the tour, which will feature a band including notable musicians Doyle Bramhall II, Paul Carrack, Nathan East, Sonny Emory and Chris Stainton,...
Openers for Stones to perform at Hartwood’s Maple House Music + Arts Festival
A local band that has opened for none other than the Rolling Stones is scheduled for the inaugural Maple House Music + Arts Festival on May 21 at Hartwood Acres Park, located in Hampton and Indiana townships. The Pittsburgh-based Ghost Hounds performed as a special guest of history’s longest-tenured rock...
Smashing Pumpkins, Jane’s Addiction playing Pittsburgh in October
The Smashing Pumpkins won’t be playing in Pittsburgh “Tonight, Tonight,” but they will be here this fall. The alternative rock giants will play Oct. 22 at PPG Paints Arena with support from Jane’s Addiction and Meg Myers. The Smashing Pumpkins came to prominence in 1993 with “Cherub Rock” from their...
Allegheny County releases 2022 summer concert acts at Hartwood Acres, South Park
An eclectic lineup of pop, rock and classical music acts is set to take the stages of Hartwood Acres Park Amphitheater and South Park Amphitheater as part of Allegheny County’s free 2022 Summer Concert Series. Alternative rockers Soul Asylum will perform on Aug. 19 as one the highlights of the...