- On Friday night (November 5th), Sammy Hagar & The Circle welcomed the Grateful Dead's Bob Weir onstage during their Las Vegas residency at The Strat Hotel, Casino & SkyPod. Weir joined the band for renditions of such longtime Dead staples as Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away," the Rascals' "Good Lovin'" — along with a surprising take on Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus." (Blabbermouth)
- Following the massive success of 2007's Raising Sand, Robert Plant admitted there was unease while reuniting with Alison Krauss for the album's aborted 2009 follow-up sessions. Plant, who'll release Raise The Roof, his second album with Krauss on November 19th, told The New York Times, "There was a little bit of trepidation on my part. I wasn’t sure whether we could reinvoke what we had. But it was very short-lived, that question of whether or not it was real. It was like, I bow to her and she curtsies to me, and we see what we can do. . . When people stick stuff on the radio now, I think you’re allowed like 16 seconds or even less before you’re actually hitting a chorus. But then again, we’re fishing in a different pool. In fact, we’re not even fishing. We’re just trying to swim." (Ultimate Classic Rock)
- Rod Stewart has just released "I Can Imagine" — the latest video from his upcoming album, The Tears Of Hercules, which drops on November 12th. Rod wrote or co-wrote nine of the album's dozen tracks. The Tears Of Hercules also features a new take on Johnny Cash's "These Are My People." (Press release)
- On January 28th, Jethro Tull will release its first new studio album in 18 years, titled The Zealot Gene. Bandleader Ian Anderson said in a statement, "While I have a spot of genuine fondness for the pomp and fairytale story-telling of the Holy Book, I still feel the need to question and draw sometimes unholy parallels from the text. The good, the bad, and the downright ugly rear their heads throughout, but are punctuated with elements of love, respect, and tenderness." (Press release)
- Beach Boys co-founder Al Jardine is hitting the road next year with Brian Wilson's daughters — two-thirds of Wilson Phillips — Carnie and Wendy Wilson. The shows, billed as Al Jardine Family & Friends, also feature his son Matt Jardine, along with Carnie's husband and Brian Wilson band guitarist Rob Bonfiglio. In addition to a spate of Beach Boys classics, the group will be performing a mini-set of Wilson Phillips favorites.
- In the late-1990's Jardine, the Wilson sisters, along with son Matt and his brother Adam, toured as Al Jardine's Beach Boys Family & Friends.
JUST ANNOUNCED: Al Jardine Family & Friends tour dates (subject to change):
January 28 – Miramar, FL – Miramar Cultural Center
March 2 – Bethesda, MD – Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club
March 3 – Glenside PA – Keswick Theater
March 4 – Patchogue, NY – Patchogue Theatre
March 5 – Torrington, CT – Warner Theatre
March 6 – Norwalk, CT – Wall Street Theater
March 8 – New York, NY – Sony Hall
March 18 – Gilbert, AZ – Higley Center for the Performing Arts (Al Jardine Endless Summer – solo show)
March 19 – San Juan Capistrano, CA – The Coach House (Al Jardine Endless Summer – solo show)
