Alice In Chains and Jane’s Addiction will lead the lineup of the fourth annual Rockstar Energy Uproar Festival, which kicks off on August 9th in Scranton, PA and winds down on September 15th in Irvine, CA. Other acts on the bill include Coheed And Cambria, Circa Survive, Walking Papers — featuring Duff McKagan — Middle Class Rut, New Politics, Danko Jones, Chuck Shaffer Picture Show and a local Battle of the Bands winner in each market. Guitarist Jerry Cantrell of Alice In Chains said in a statement, “I think it’s going to be a fun tour and we’re really looking forward to it. It’s only going to happen that one time, that way, and you’re going to be there.” See all the dates in the Road Rage section of this website. And find tickets at www.RockstarUPROAR.com and www.LiveNation.com ….Volbeat will continue its North American leg of tour dates well into the spring, with a new batch of dates kicking off on May 1st in Boston and wrapping for now with an appearance at Columbus, OH’s Rock On The Range festival on May 19th. Several other festivals will be mixed in with headlining gigs, which will feature support from All That Remains and Eye Empire….hardDrive Live Tour headliners Bullet For My Valentine are working on a music video for their next single, “Breaking Point.” Listen for the new single soon on both hardDrive and hardDrive XL!….Rob Zombie‘s 4th solo record Venomous Rat Regenerator Vendor is out today. I love their cover of “We’re An American Band.” His movie The Lords of Salem debuted on Friday night in 355 theaters. It may or may not go wide….This news sorta pisses me off. Robert Plant and his Sensational Shape Shifters have just added 16 new stops to their summer itinerary, which now makes 21 gigs spread over five weeks in late June and July. Plant and the band — who have recently been playing a Led Zeppelin-heavy setlist, kick things off on June 20th in Dallas, Texas and eventually wind the trek down in Brooklyn, New York on July 27th. If you recall, Robert was the hold out for any possible Led Zeppelin reunion, but he’ll tour with this band and play those songs. WTF? I would boycott this one….. I totally missed this yesterday! During the Rush induction at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony Thursday night in LA, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins and uber-producer Nick Raskulinecz donned wigs and white kimonos to replicate Rush who did a tour back in the day looking that way, and performed the “2112 Overture.” What I didn’t recognize was Nick was playing bass. He’s so cool. And I was speaking with my friend Mark Abramson of Roadrunner Records, who went to the event, and he told me he was hanging out with Dave and Nick at the after party for Rush. Oh man, I wish I was there! …..Happy 53rd today to Wolfgang Van Halen’s mom, Valerie Bertinelli. And RIP to folk singer Richie Havens (72) who passed away yesterday from a heart attack and Christine Amphlett, 53, of the Divinyls, who succumbed to complications from MS and breast cancer. Both left us too soon!
