Well, the pandemic has claimed another festival…
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Rocklahoma is postponing their 2020 festival for a full year over the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
The festival was taking place from May 22 to 24 but will be pushed off for a full year after coordinating with state, local and federal health authorities.
Described as “America’s Biggest Memorial Day Weekend Party,” the three-day festival occurs at the Pryor Creek Music Festival Grounds in Pryor Creek, Oklahoma.
This year’s lineup included headlining acts Five Finger Death Punch, Slipknot and Staind. Other notable bands who were performing include Motionless In White, the Pretty Reckless, Papa Roach, Halestorm, I Prevail and more.
Yesterday, the festival had to break the news to attendees they will not be able to host the event this year.
Rocklahoma ticket holders will have the option to get a full refund or transfer their passes over to 2021.
Green Day‘s Billie Joe Armstrong, Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder and Billie Eilish are among the artists who will participate in a new charity TV special for pandemic relief.
One World: Together At Home, produced by Global Citizen and the World Health Organization, will also feature appearances from Coldplay‘s Chris Martin, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Elton John, Finneas, Keith Urban and many more. The lineup will be curated by Lady Gaga and the show will be hosted by Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert.
Global Citizen co-founder and CEO Hugh Evans said, “As we honor and support the heroic efforts of community health workers, One World: Together At Home aims to serve as a source of unity and encouragement in the global fight to end COVID-19. Through music, entertainment and impact, the global live-cast will celebrate those who risk their own health to safeguard everyone else’s.”
The event will be broadcast at 8:00 p.m. ET on April 18th via ABC, NBC, ViacomCBS Networks and other outlets. All proceeds raised by the show will go to the WHO’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.
Pearl Jam‘s new album Gigaton entered the Billboard 200 album chart on Sunday night, April 5th at Number Five, moving the equivalent of 63,000 copies. The band’s first disc sold 57,000 physical units, with another 6,000 in either downloads or streams.
Gigaton is Pearl Jam’s 11th studio album and first since 2013’s Lightning Bolt. All 11 of those LPs have now reached the Top Five on the chart. The album performed particularly well on vinyl, selling 14,000 copies — the second-largest week on vinyl for a 2020 release.
Regarding the length of time it took to complete the album, singer Eddie Vedder said on the Bill Simmons Podcast, “It grew on its own. It just started different, and it ended different, and everything that happened in the middle was different, and that’s what felt great about it. At some point, we had to finish . . . That can be the hard part.”
On eventually returning to the road after their spring tour was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic, Vedder said, “We’re kind of reclusive by nature. So, in some ways it feels normal to be away from people . . . but I just keep thinking that first time we’ll be in front of people, it’s even hard to imagine when or how, it’s going to be different. It’s not like we didn’t appreciate it before, it’s just even tenfold.”
Guitarist Stone Gossard told us a while back that the older the members of Pearl Jam have gotten, the more they’ve enjoyed the road: “I would say, in general, as we get older and a little wiser that our tours have become more enjoyable. Especially now that we do it in moderation.”
Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi is auctioning six items from his personal collection to help support medical relief efforts in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. All items will be autographed, and the winner will get free shipping to any location on the globe. The items include a guitar and various Sabbath collections on CD, vinyl and DVD. All proceeds will go straight to Birmingham, England’s hospitals.
Finally, we want to wish a Happy Birthday to Skillet frontman John Cooper! Stay safe everyone!
