Wow! We were told we’d only have 20 minutes with Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains. We got 45! And now our lucky friend in LA also got to hear some other new tracks! I am soooo jealous! Nice work, Don! (Our Pulse Content rock reporter Don Kaye has been friends with the Alice in Chains guys since they first started out in the early 90’s, so it was surely a nice reunion for those two!) Can’t wait to hear the outcome as we share it with you on hardDrive and the XL! This is what we do! We have long and great relationships with our bands (heck, this July, hardDrive will be on the air for 17 years!) and it’s wonderful to know the appreciation/love works both ways. Anyhow, be listening in a couple of weeks as we get the clips on the air! On Monday, Don will get to talk to Lars from Metallica (another long relationship being rekindled there!) Makes me wonder, why am I in NYC where it’s snowing and cold???…..Well, it’s March and college basketball playoffs start soon. And Muse will headline a series of free concerts scheduled for April 5th, 6th and 7th in Atlanta in conjunction with the NCAA’s Final Four, according to FMQB. Other acts to appear at Centennial Olympic Park include Dave Matthews Band, Sting, Ludacris, Flo Rida and Grace Potter & The Nocturnals. Muse will perform on the 6th along with Dave Matthews Band, Sting and others. Muse’s single “Madness” has also been selected as the featured theme song for NCAA March Madness this year and can be heard in ads for the college basketball tournament….RollingStone.com has posted a video showing Dave Grohl, Trent Reznor and Queens Of The Stone Age‘s Josh Homme working at Grohl’s Studio 606 on a track called “Mantra,” which appears in the film and on the soundtrack to Grohl’s new documentary, Sound City: Real to Reel. Grohl kicks off the almost eight-minute instrumental on drums, with Homme joining in on bass and Reznor providing the piano flourishes. (Please, see this film!) The soundtrack, titled Sound City: Real to Reel, is out March 12th and includes other collaborations with Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks, Rick Nielsen, Corey Taylor and more. I am so hoping to get into the show next Thursday night in Austin. Sigh. Must have my dose of Grohl. He’s only addicted to coffee!…..Well, turns out our winner who was flown out to LA to see Tremonti‘s final night of their tour on Tuesday at the Roxy on the Sunset Strip got treated to more than just Tremonti! He also got to see Eddie & Alex Van Halen, Orianthi and Zakk Wylde in the crowd! Still awaiting the deets on the evening and hope to have some picture proof for ya soon!….Celebrating birthdays this weekend: Saturday: Shannon Leto of 30 Seconds to Mars (older bro of Jared) is 43 and fellow drummer Johnny Kelly of Type O Negative and Danzig turns 45. Sunday, a Big 5-0 birthday party for Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam and producer Rick Rubin and Happy 35th to Ben Burnley of Breaking Benjamin. (Dude, reach out, will ya?)…. Have a great weekend! Don’t miss hardDrive this weekend as Hour 2 features my interview with Dave Grohl and we’ll spotlight a brand new song from Sound City Soundtrack you haven’t heard!…And finally, let’s leave you laughing, shall we? Watch this.
