Good morning Radicals! Here’s what’s up in music news today:
Photo credit: Anna Shinoda
To mark what would have been late Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington‘s 42nd birthday today, his widow Talinda Bennington and the 320 Changes Direction organization is hoping to spread the word for mental health advocacy as a tribute to the fallen vocalist, who took his own life last July.
Talinda has partnered with the Campaign to Change Direction for her initiative, which is aimed at helping people with emotional struggles rather than isolating them, and encouraging conversations about mental health rather than avoiding them.
Talinda is asking for fans to lend a “hand” in a social media campaign that is designed to get people discussing the five signs of emotional suffering and to get people practicing the healthy habits of emotional well-being. Her request read in part, “I ask that you post a picture of yourself holding up your hand, which symbolizes you know the Five Signs. Write ‘I AM THE CHANGE’ on your hand and please use #320ChangesDirection.”
She added, “Because we are the CHANGE in our mental health culture. Every one of us is changing it by sharing your thoughts, offering support, and by simply being aware that we have our mental health to care for.” Talinda continued, “The passing of my husband cannot be in vain. His passing was a catalyst for opening up dialogue with respect to emotional and mental health. Throughout his life, he saved countless lives with his music and philanthropy. And through his death, he continues to save lives by spotlighting the urgent need for a change in our mental health culture.”
Godsmack and Shinedown have fleshed out the rest of their co-headlining summer North American tour, which gets underway on July 22nd in Clarkston, Michigan and will now hit more than 30 cities before wrapping up after six weeks on September 2nd in Wantagh, New York. The two bands announced the first 16 dates earlier this month. Like A Storm will open the first half of the tour, while Red Sun Rising will warm up the crowds for the second half.
Tickets are available to the general public starting this Friday, March 23rd at LiveNation.com. These dates come as both groups are set to release new albums: Shinedown’s Attention Attention arrives on May 4th, while Godsmack will unleash When Legends Rise on April 27th.
Shinedown’s Brent Smith said in a statement, “It’s all about impact, and making a statement. We are creating a show for the fans that is powerful, passionate, and sonically inspiring. The audience has given us a platform to be ourselves, and create something spectacular.’”
Godsmack frontman Sully Erna added, “We love the guys in Shinedown and we all go way back. There is a very strong mutual respect between our camps and we feel that this tour is going to be a must see!” You can see all the stops for this killer run on the Road Rage page.
Blink-182 is headed to the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas for a 16-date residency dubbed “Kings of the Weekend.” The run will begin May 26th and run on select weekends through November 17th. Bassist Mark Hoppus said in a statement, “When the Palms asked us to do a residency here in Vegas, we said ‘Absolutely!’ Now, we just have to cast our showgirls, create our set list — a true throwback of Vegas classics with Sinatra, Liberace. Maybe we can even marry someone onstage . . . the possibilities in Vegas are endless.”
Blink is just the latest in a long line of contemporary pop and rock performers who have gone the Vegas route, including Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, Elton John, Rod Stewart, John Fogerty and many others, with Lady Gaga beginning a 74-show stand later this year.
Blink-182 has kept a low profile since wrapping up its 2017 tour in support of 2016’s California, the band’s first album without founding guitarist Tom DeLonge.
With Alkaline Trio‘s Matt Skiba replacing DeLonge, the album hit Number One on the Billboard 200 and the group proved to be one of last year’s most popular touring attractions. A new album is reportedly in the works.
The Vegas shows will all take place at the Palms’ Pearl Concert Theater. A ticket pre-sale begins Tuesday (March 20th) at 10:00 am PST. A public on-sale follows on Friday (March 23rd). The shows will run as follows:
- May 26-27
- June 8-9, 15-16, 23-24
- October 26-27
- November 2-3, 9-10, 16-17
Queens Of The Stone Age have released a video for the song “Head Like A Haunted House” from the band’s current album Villains. The clip is described as a “ghastly animated carnival ride through your worst fever-induced nightmares. Accompanied by disembodied hands, UFOs, smoldering hellscapes and grooving skeletons, (frontman) Joshua Homme leads the way as he and his pack of mischief-makers sail through the nighttime sky on what else but flying coffins.”
“Head Like A Haunted House” is the latest single to emerge from Villains, following “The Way You Used To Do.”
Queens Of The Stone Age have been mostly spending the early part of the year outside the U.S., most recently in South America with Foo Fighters. However, they’ll be back for more U.S. dates in March, April, and May before spending the summer in Europe.
The North American run kicks off with a two-night stand on March 21st and 22nd at the Observatory North Park in San Diego.
Slipknot and Stone Sour vocalist Corey Taylor is joining the roster of performers who will appear on Fozzy frontman Chris Jericho‘s Rock ’n’ Wrestling Rager at Sea. Taylor will play a solo acoustic set aboard the cruise, which will also feature Fozzy, Motorhead guitarist Phil Campbell‘s new band the Bastard Sons and more, along with some of Jericho’s fellow pro wrestling stars like Mick Foley and Raven.
Taylor said in a statement, “”I’m gonna be just as geekin’ as you are watching all the music, all the wrestling. Growing up, I was a huge fan, so this is gonna be pretty bad ass.”
Taylor and Stone Sour recently announced a spring headlining tour that will also include appearances at several festivals in the U.S. It kicks off on April 28th at Jacksonville’s Welcome To Rockville fest. If all goes according to plan, the month-long run will mark the return of guitarist Josh Rand, who last performed with the group in January before he entered treatment for unspecified issues.
Stone Sour is touring in support of its sixth studio effort, Hydrograd, which came out at the end of June and features the chart-topping rock radio hit “Song #3.”
Have a great day everyone!
