Thanks to everyone that came out last night to the Funnybone to support the American Cancer Society. The McGuigan brothers were great and so were Austin Anderson, Kevin Grace, Heather Jones, Nick Allen Richard Reese and Bill Blank! We helped raised over $1,500! Here's video of my set last night. This weekend check out J. Scott Homan & Bill Blank www.funnyboneomaha.com
Cheap Trick has re-recorded their 1978 song "Surrender" with a Mariachi band in celebration of today being Cinco de Mayo.
The recording also promotes the Hornitos Tequila Mariachi Mash Up competition, a contest that challenges musical acts of all types to create their own mariachi-inspired mash up in celebration of the official kick-off to tequila season. The winning entry will receive $10,000 and a feature in Billboard's "Backbeat" section in June. The contest ends May 23rd.
The Rolling Stones have licensed their likeness and music for a new pinball machine. It contains 13 songs -- including "Start Me Up," "She's So Cold" and "Mixed Emotions" -- and a moving Mick Jagger target. Jagger recently took time out from working on a new album to play the game at engineer Chris Lord-Alge's studio in Los Angeles. The cost of each machine is more than $4600.
There's a YouTube video from February that's just getting a bunch of plays now. It shows a little girl named Sariah doing the 'Jedi Training Academy' at Disneyland. That's where they give lightsabers to kids in the crowd, and have them fight Darth Vader
But the girl decides to join the Dark Side instead, and she bows down at Vader's feet.
KISS members Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer took time out from recording their new album in Los Angeles to appear last Thursday at the New York Auto Show. Wearing their stage costumes, they helped unveil four KISS-inspired custom-painted and autographed Countryman Minis, which will be auctioned off to aid UNICEF's efforts to help children in Japan and around the world. The auction starts on May 29th.
Afterward, Simmons said he had his eye on one of the cars. "I want the Demon," said the Demon. Thayer added, "Mini Coopers have a rock and roll history. Back in the '60s The Beatles used to drive Mini Coopers -- Paul McCartney, John Lennon."
If you don't want to bid, Mini is making available the four KISS-inspired vehicle wraps available for every Mini model, color and year. To order yours, call 877-236-4431.
STEVEN TYLER recently did something really cool for a HUGE AEROSMITH fan.
A man in his 60s named Lawrence Ori suffered from a rare condition called "progressive supranuclear palsy," which is marked by brain deterioration.Lawrence could barely speak or move . . . and he was on his deathbed.
He had dreamed of meeting Steven, but never had the chance . . . until his last day.
Lawrence's family, with help from the Passages Hospice Dream Foundation, contacted Steven, who agreed to meet him through Skype on a laptop.
After it was set up, Steven said, quote, "Lawrence?This is Steven.I'm coming to you from L.A. and I'm so glad to meet you . . . You hold on, Lawrence.I love you man.[It's] great to meet you."
Lawrence couldn't respond, but he did tear-up.He died later that day.
Fans are getting a "backstage pass" to The Beatles' life on the road in a new pictorial book. Larry Marion has compiled "The Lost Beatles Photographs: The Bob Bonis Archive, 1964-1966." While Bonis was the Fab Four's tour manager he snapped an estimated 35-hundred photos, but rarely authorized their publication. After his death, Marion negotiated with Bob's son Alex to compile the "lost" pictures in book form. Marion tells TheHuffingtonPost.com that Beatles fans can expect to see photos of the band goofing off between shows and traveling from one venue to another. "The Lost Beatles Photographs" is available from Harper-Collins now.
Bruce Springsteen's first car, a yellow 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible with flames on the hood and side, has been auctioned off online for $468,000. He bought it on May 21st, 1975 for $2,000, and reportedly wrote the lyrics for "Born to Run," "Thunder Road" and "Backstreets" in it. Included in the sale were the original vehicle registration, temporary insurance card and Allstate insurance card in Springsteen's name. The car is currently on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Springsteen sold the car in 1976 and bought a 1960 black Corvette, which he still owns.
