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The Week In Music: Steven Tyler Writes This Way
Aerosmith frontman's memoir set for release next week
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler's memoir is set for release on May 3 and fans can expect nothing short of a walk on the wild side. Titled Does The Noise In My Head Bother You? — A Rock 'N' Roll Memoir, the book is reportedly filled with rock star memoir standards — sex, drugs and, of course, rock and roll. If you're wondering what happened when Tyler and Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards spent a weekend at Bing Crosby's house in Long Island, or when Tyler blacked out onstage while singing "Reefer Head Woman" in 1978, you'll find it all in his book, and more. Readers should be prepared to walk this way with the leader of the self-proclaimed "most decadent, lecherous, sexiest, nastiest band in the land."
Actress Kate Hudson is adding another notch to her score-a-musician belt with the announcement of her engagement to Muse frontman Matthew Bellamy on the "Today" show on April 27. The actress was previously married to Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes. Could this be an extension of the "GRAMMY Effect" for Muse? The band picked up their first GRAMMY for Best Rock Album for The Resistance at the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards in February, and aside from his recent engagement, Bellamy is also expecting a baby with Hudson. The British rocker seems to have caused quite the uprising in the expecting actress, who revealed the proposal was "very sweet and very romantic." "He's a beautiful man and I'm excited," said Hudson. The couple has yet to announce a wedding date, or on which side of the Atlantic it will take place.
Lady Gaga has added a new Little Monster to her collection. Elton John and husband David Furnish named her the godmother of their adopted son Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John. It doesn't mean diaper-duty is likely for the Fame Monster, but according to Furnish, "She will be a good person to guide [Zachary] through the ins and outs of the music business, 'cause she sure knows everything about the business now." As for John, he sees Gaga as the perfect choice once you get to know the real Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. "When you get to the real person underneath, there's a simple girl who loves her parents," says the real Reginald Kenneth Dwight. It seems celebrities turning to celebrity godparents is nothing new judging by this Parade magazine list. Elton himself is the godfather of Victoria and David Beckham's sons Brooklyn and Romeo. As Sly And The Family Stone once sang, "It's a family affair."
Fellow Pirates Of The Caribbean star Johnny Depp may have looked to Keith Richards for the inspiration for his character Jack Sparrow, but actor Orlando Bloom turned to a later generation of rockers for Mark Ruffalo's directorial debut, Sympathy For Delicious. For his own take on sex, drugs and rock and roll, Bloom focused on the Stone Roses' Ian Brown and Oasis' bad-boy Gallagher brothers to give his character that rock and roll je ne sais quoi. "The north of England is where a lot of great British bands come from," Bloom told The Huffington Post at the film's New York premiere." That attitude that the Gallagher brothers have, and Ian Brown as well, was like, 'We are the best f***ing band in the world, and if you don't know it, f*** you,' you know what I mean?" Well, we're not sure we know what he means, but we figure Cee Lo Green does.
Today is a day that will go down in history as Prince William prepares to marry Kate Middleton in an event that is sure to captivate audiences from Buckingham Palace to the West Coast. But former Smiths frontman Morrissey isn't buying in. "Why would I watch the wedding?" Morrissey exclaimed in an interview on BBC Radio's "5 live." "I couldn't take any of that seriously. I don't think the so-called royal family speak for England now and I don't think England needs them. I do seriously believe that they are benefit scroungers and nothing else." Strong words coming from the man who stormed offstage during his set at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2009 because he smelled burgers cooking. "The press reports from Buckingham Palace tell you that people love them, but go out now and speak to people on the street and they will laugh at you," said Morrissey. "They really will." Given his opinion on the It's no mystery where he got the inspiration to write "Will Never Marry."
As Lollapalooza prepares to celebrate its 20th birthday Aug. 5–7 on the grassy plains of Grant Park in Chicago, festival founder/Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell couldn't be happier. "I want to take care of my people," said Farrell. "They've been with me for 20 years. That's how I go. It's a family-run business at this point." More than 50 acts are set to take the various stages over the three days, including Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses, the Cars, Coldplay, Eminem, Foo Fighters, Cee Lo Green, Muse, and Ween, among others. Farrell revealed he's looking forward to seeing Green perform, as well as the Cars. "It might've been my first or second concert ever," said Farrell of the first time he saw the Cars live. "Yeah, I loved their music when I was growing up."
What were some of our other favorite stars up to this week? The TWIM Twittertable says: katyperry: hehehehehe; MileyCyrus: When sushi smells like tots you got a problem. #aiportsushi; justinbieber: Its a beautiful day In the neighbourhood; keshasuxx: CONGRATSSS DR LUKE I LUVS U!!!! @thedoctorluke; NICKIMINAJ: Headed to Edmonton! Canada wuts good?!?!?!?
Katy Perry's "E.T." featuring Kanye West is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Adele's "Rolling In The Deep" is tops on the iTunes singles chart.
Any news we've missed? Comment below.
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Photo: Rob Kim/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
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20 Live Events At The GRAMMY Museum This September: Experience Orville Peck, Kate Hudson, Tierra Whack & More
This September, join the GRAMMY Museum for live discussions and performances from Lainey Wilson, Sleater-Kinney, Don Toliver, and many more.
As the leaves begin to turn and the evenings draw in, the GRAMMY Museum is preparing to host an exciting lineup of in-person events this September in downtown Los Angeles and New York City.
Featuring a diverse array of artists from Big Sean to Steve Aoki, the Museum offers fans unparalleled access to intimate discussions and performances. Whether you're a fan of indie vibes, soulful melodies, or the pulsating rhythms of global pop, there's something for everyone in this season's programming.
Check out the comprehensive list of must-attend GRAMMY Museum public programs for September 2024:
A Conversation With Big Sean
August 30, 2024 at 6 p.m.
L.A.
Sold Out - Join Waitlist
While not actually in September, Big Sean kicks off the fall season in a big way. The legendary rapper joins guests at the Museum’s intimate 200-seat Clive Davis Theater for an evening of conversation discussing his latest album, Better Me Than You, his creative process, and more.
Spotlight: Faye Webster
Tuesday, September 3, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
L.A.
Sold Out - Join Waitlist
Join Atlanta-based singer-songwriter Faye Webster as she discusses her latest album and creative journey in an intimate setting.
Global Spin Live: I.M
Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
L.A.
Sold Out - Join Waitlist
Dive into the world of K-pop with I.M, the lead rapper of Monsta X, as he discusses his solo career trajectory and upcoming music, capped off with a live performance.
The Drop: Lainey Wilson
September 5, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
L.A.
Sold Out - Join Waitlist
Join country music great Lainey Wilson at the Museum’s 300-seat Ray Charles Rooftop Terrace for an evening of conversation celebrating her career, latest project, WHIRLWIND, and more, with a performance to follow.
A New York Evening With Ingrid Michaelson
September 5, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
N.Y.C.
The GRAMMY Museum and 92NY are thrilled to host Ingrid Michaelson for an intimate conversation about her album, For the Dreamers, composing music for The Notebook, her creative process, and more, followed by a performance.
A New York Evening with Tierra Whack
September 6, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
N.Y.C.
Join Tierra Whack at National Sawdust in Brooklyn, NY to celebrate her debut project, Whack World, with a discussion about her creative process behind the release, her career, and more, with a special performance to follow.
An Evening With Kate Hudson
Monday, September 9, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
L.A.
Sold Out - Join Waitlist
Actress and singer Kate Hudson will share insights into her musical expression showcased in her latest album Glorious, followed by a performance.
Read more: Kate Hudson Is A Singer Now — And She Doesn't Care What You Think
An Evening With Sleater-Kinney
(Moderated by Molly Neuman)
Tuesday, September 10, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
L.A.
Sold Out - Join Waitlist
Celebrate 30 years of Sleater-Kinney as they discuss their enduring influence, latest music, and personal trials, accompanied by a live performance.
Read more: On 'Little Rope,' Sleater-Kinney Still Wear Their Hearts On Their Sleeves
A New York Evening with Chris and Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes
September 11, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
N.Y.C.
Sold Out - Join Waitlist
Join Chris and Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes at National Sawdust in Brooklyn, NY to celebrate their 10th studio album, Happiness Bastards, with a discussion about their careers, their creative process behind the project, and more, and a special performance to follow.
A Conversation With Don Toliver
(moderated by Charlie Wilson)
September 11, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
L.A.
Join Don Toliver and Sickamore to the Museum’s intimate 200-seat Clive Davis Theater for an evening of discussion about Don Toliver’s album, HARDSTONE PSYCHO, their collaboration, careers, and creative process. The conversation will be moderated by R&B Icon and 13 time GRAMMY Nominee Charlie Wilson.
A New York Evening With Hermanos Gutiérrez
September 12, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
N.Y.C.
Join Hermanos Gutiérrez at National Sawdust in Brooklyn, NY celebrating their latest album, Sonido Cósmico, with a discussion moderated by WNYC’s John Schaefer about their creative process, career, and more, with a special performance to follow.
Spotlight: John Summit
(Moderated by Jason Bentley, KCRW / Metropolis)
September 12, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
L.A.
Join John Summit at the Museum’s 300-seat Ray Charles Rooftop Terrace for an evening discussing and celebrating his debut album, Comfort In Chaos, and his creative process and career, with a performance to follow. Attendees will also have an opportunity to enjoy rooftop views and a cash bar prior to the program.
Read more: Finding 'Comfort In Chaos': John Summit On The Journey To His Debut Album
Sensory Friendly Saturdays
September 14, 2024 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
L.A.
Experience Sensory Friendly Saturday on the second Saturday of every month. Families can enjoy our space with less crowding, quieter sound levels and lower lighting on the second Saturday of every month from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Guests can purchase tickets when they arrive at the Museum or they can purchase online for the applicable Saturday.
The Drop: Orville Peck
September 17, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
L.A.
Join Orville Peck at the Museum’s Ray Charles Rooftop Terrace for an evening discussing his latest and third studio album, Stampede, his creative process, and more, with a special performance to follow. Attendees will also have an opportunity to enjoy rooftop views and a cash bar prior to the program.
Spotlight: The Marías
(Moderated by Suzy Exposito)
September 18, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
L.A.
Sold Out - Join Waitlist
Join GRAMMY-nominated group The Marías to the Museum’s Ray Charles Rooftop Terrace for an evening discussing their latest album, Submarine, their multiple GRAMMY Award-nominations, their creative process, and more, with a special performance to follow. Attendees will also have an opportunity to enjoy rooftop views and a cash bar prior to the program.
Read more: The Marías Plunge Into The Depths On 'Submarine': How The Band Found Courage In Collective Pain
Spotlight: WILLOW
September 20, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.
L.A.
Join WILLOW at the Museum’s intimate 200-seat Clive Davis Theater for an evening celebrating her latest release, empathogen, her rising career, and creative process, with a performance to follow.
An Evening With Steve Aoki
September 23, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
L.A.
Join two-time GRAMMY nominee Steve Aoki at the Museum’s Ray Charles Rooftop Terrace for an evening discussing his latest album, Paragon, creative process, and more, with a special performance to follow. Attendees will also have an opportunity to enjoy rooftop views and a cash bar prior to the program. In addition, fans will have the opportunity to see some of Steve’s most important artifacts, on display for one night only, such as his original DJ laptop and more!
A New York Evening With RAYE
September 26, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
N.Y.C.
Join RAYE at The Loreto Theater at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture in New York City celebrating her latest work, “Genesis”, with a discussion about her rising career, her creative process behind the project, and more, plus a special performance to follow.
Watch: Watch RAYE Open Up About Her Prized Songwriting Notebook | It Goes To 11
Reel To Reel: Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan and T. Rex
September 26, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.
L.A.
Enjoy a special screening of Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan and T. Rex in the Museum’s intimate 200-seat Clive Davis Theater with a post-screening panel discussion featuring Marc Bolan’s partner and musical collaborator Gloria Jones, his son Rolan Bolan, director Ethan Silverman, recording engineer Marc Urselli, and musician/author Richard Barone to talk about the creative process behind the film. Following the screening, there will be an acoustic performance featuring Barone and Rolan Bolan to close the evening.
SUNDAY BRUNCH with Ben Platt
September 29, 2024 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
L.A.
Join the GRAMMY Museum for Sunday Brunch With…, a fundraising event series in support of our GRAMMY In The Schools education programs.
The Museum is thrilled to team up with the incredible Ben Platt and the renowned VERSE LA, located in Toluca Lake, for an afternoon of great music and food. Guests will dine on a delicious 3-course brunch while enjoying live music performed by GRAMMY In The Schools education program alumni. Following the meal, guests will be treated to a rare, up close, and personal 45-minute performance from GRAMMY, Tony, and Emmy Award winner Ben Platt to close out the afternoon.
For more details and to secure tickets to these events, visit the GRAMMY Museum website. We look forward to welcoming you to these inspiring sessions!
GRAMMY Museum News
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list
New Music Friday: Listen To Songs From Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, LISA & Rosalía, Benson Boone & More
Between Post Malone's first country album and an unexpected collab from two of pop's biggest names, today is chock-full of thrilling new music. Listen to new tracks from YG, Jean Dawson and Lil Yachty and more.
Summer may be slowly edging toward fall, but the red-hot streak of this summer's musical output shows no signs of slowing down.
This New Music Friday (Aug. 16), Post Malone goes country with his sixth studio album F-1 Trillion, Meghan Trainor adds four songs (and rearranges the track list) to the deluxe edition of her latest LP Timeless, and global girl group KATSEYE unveil their debut mini-album SIS (SOFT IS STRONG). Plus, Muscadine Bloodline share their fourth full-length The Coastal Plain and Nikka Costa drops Dirty Disco, her first album in eight years.
When it comes to singles, there's just as many new songs to explore — from superstar collabs like ROSALÍA and LISA's empowered "NEW WOMAN" to the latest releases from Hozier and Peggy Gou.
Below, dive into eight more new releases from pop and K-pop to rap, rock, country, dance, and more.
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars — "Die With a Smile"
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars gave the world just 12 hours notice that they were dropping "Die With a Smile" this week, sending Little Monsters and Hooligans alike into a tizzy as they braced themselves for the surprise duet.
Mars' sensual vocals lead off the moony, apocalyptic love song, which marks Mars' first release since his GRAMMY-winning work with Anderson .Paak as Silk Sonic. Strumming an electric guitar, the 15-time GRAMMY winner vows, "I, I just woke from a dream/ Where you and I had to say goodbye/ And I don't know what it all means/ But since I survived, I realized/ Wherever you go, that's where I'll follow."
As for Mother Monster's oeuvre, "Die With a Smile" lands somewhere between Joanne and "Shallow" as her fans wait impatiently for LG7. Not to be outdone, Gaga takes over on the second verse, supported by Mars' swooning harmonies as the duo crescendo the intensity of their devotion to meet the literal end of the world.
LISA & ROSALÍA — "NEW WOMAN"
On New Music Friday eve, BLACKPINK member LISA added to her blossoming collection of solo bangers with "NEW WOMAN," an empowering shapeshifter of a duet that sees her joining forces with ROSALÍA.
"Hit it when I serve/ B—, you better swerve/ Revving up my aura/ Focus on my mind/ Taking my time/ I'm a new woman, woman," the K-pop star proudly announces on the chorus of the song before Rosalía slams on the brakes to sing and rap her way through a sultry verse in her native Spanish that translates, in part, to "I was born pure, yes/ Not an era will be a flop in my future/ W—, I'm Rosalía, I only know how to serve."
The accompanying Dave Meyers-directed video is filled with high-fashion looks (thigh-high boots on fire, that massive, floor-sweeping pearl necklace…or is it made of ball bearings?), Y2K nostalgia (flip phones!) and a bevy of quirky, genuinely off-beat moments that will be sure to help drive the conversation as LISA continues to establish herself — and her nascent LLOUD partnership under RCA Records — as a global force in control of her musical destiny.
Benson Boone — "Pretty Slowly"
Fresh off "Death Wish Love" — his folksy contribution to the Twisters soundtrack — Benson Boone uses his newest single "Pretty Slowly" to celebrate his sudden rise as one of pop music's shiniest new stars.
The deceptively upbeat track's lyrics reflect on the dissolution of a relationship lost to all the recent, stratospheric changes in his life as he croons, "Oh, how come all the best things fall apart/ And it started pretty slowly/ When you asked about the old me/ Oh, is he gone? Oh, is he gone/ Oh, I don't know/ I think I left him somewhere I no longer go."
However, the song's accompanying music video acts as a both a victory lap in the wake of his debut album, Fireworks & Rollerblade, from earlier this summer and and energetic peek into the "Beautiful Things" breakout's high-octane live show — complete with thousands of ecstatic fans and his signature, onstage backflips.
YG — 'Just Re'd Up 3'
More than a decade after his 2013 mixtape Just Re'd Up 2, YG adds to the series with the long-awaited Just Re'd Up 3.
The Compton native has released six other albums and a litany of other mixtapes and collaborative projects in the interim, and his decade-plus in the spotlight allows him to recruit a wide array of contemporaries for the two-disc LP — from Saweetie ("SHE PRETTY") and Ty Dolla $ign ("IT'S GIVIN," "RESCUE ME") to Tee Grizzley and G Herbo ("MALIBU") and Lil Yachty and Babyface Ray ("STUPID").
Jean Dawson & Lil Yachty — "Die For Me"
"Die For Me," Jean Dawson's new collaboration with Lil Yachty, blends the experimental leanings of the L.A.-based polymath (and musical arranger on Beyoncé's COWBOY CARTER) with the bubblegum trap rapper's one-of-a-kind flow — and the result is magnetic.
Sonically, the swirling track feels like a logical follow-up to Bad Cameo, the "Poland" rapper's recent collaborative album with James Blake. After Dawson warbles the hook ("Don't show up at my funeral/ If you won't die for me"), Lil Yachty grabs the mic for a blunt-force eulogy that demands repeated listening.
Morgan Wade — 'Obsessed'
Morgan Wade preceded her fourth album, Obsessed, with delicate, heart-on-her-sleeve singles like "2AM in London" and "Time to Love, Time to Kill." Arriving almost a year to the day since her previous full-length Psychopath, the country upstart — and occasional Real Housewives of Beverly Hills guest star — is just as vulnerable on the rest of the album.
Showing off her aptitude for laying bare emotional storytelling and heart-crushing nostalgia, Wade cleverly exposes her fragilities and regrets across the album's 14 tracks — whether she's gender-flipping Shakespeare and competing with Romeo on the forbidden "Juliet," finding somber inspiration in fairy tales on the wistful "Hansel and Gretel," or duetting with Kesha on the repentant "Walked on Water."
Falling In Reverse — 'Popular Monster'
Seven years since 2017's Coming Home, Falling In Reverse are back with their fifth studio album, Popular Monster. The LP's rollout has been spread across nearly half a decade, with the title track being released as the lead single way back in November 2019. Six additional singles have followed in the lead-up to the long-awaited project, including collaborations with Tech N9ne and Slaughter to Prevail vocalist Alex Terrible ("Ronald") and Jelly Roll ("All My Life"), as well as a reimagined cover of Papa Roach's "Last Resort."
And while Popular Monster's cover art is plastered with frontman Ronnie Radke's 2012 mugshot for alleged domestic assault, the release is hardly a solo project. In fact, it's the first Falling in Reverse album to feature Max Georgiev on guitar, Tyler Burgess on bass and Luke Holland on drums. (Derek Jones, the band's late rhythm guitarist, also contributed to the title track before his untimely death in 2020 from a subdural hematoma.)
DJ Snake & Fridayy — "Complicated"
Fridayy is practically begging to keep things simple on "Complicated," his yearning, pulsating new collaboration with DJ Snake. "Tell me what you want/ Girl, I want to know/ Please don't make it complicated/ We ain't gotta complicate it," he repeats over the DJ's hypnotic rhythms filled with Spanish guitar and distant jungle sounds.
Eventually, the three-time GRAMMY nominee's desperate pleas morph into an atmospheric echo as DJ Snake's handiwork takes center stage, plunging the track into a spellbinding synth breakdown that dances all the way to the finish.
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interview
Dave Navarro Talks Jane's Addiction's "Imminent Redemption" & The Foursome’s "Secret Sauce"
“The four of us have no business being together in a band given our backgrounds," Navarro says of his bandmate's musical origins. Despite that, Jane's Addiction is back with a new song and their first U.S. tour in over a decade.
The original members of Jane’s Addiction are a diverse bunch. There’s trippy visionary singer/stylist and Lollapalooza co-founder Perry Farrell; Stephen Perkins, the monster drummer with a goofy-meets-spiritual vibe; and bassist Eric Avery, who opted not to be part of the 1997 and 2001 Jane’s reunions and played with Garbage from 2005 to 2022.
Then there’s multi-faceted musician Dave Navarro, who in addition to his work with Jane's, spent five years with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and brough his guitar stylings to songs by Janet Jackson, Nine Inch Nails, Alanis Morissette and Guns N’ Roses. The Los Angeles native has made headlines with high-profile romances, TV reality appearances, television hosting duties, and in numerous all-star collaborations and benefit performances.
But Jane’s Addiction, which formed Los Angeles in 1985, has his heart. The group’s groundbreaking 1988 major label debut Nothing Shocking and follow-up Ritual De Lo Habitual marked the band as progenitors of the alternative scene. Their DIY aesthetic in videos, art and music resulted in subversively joyful creations, including the chart-topping "Been Caught Stealing."
However, egos, creative differences and substances interferred in the band’s trajectory, and a 1991 farewell tour also marked the inception of the first Lollapalooza and of Farrell as business mogul.
Jane’s Addiction may have helped make alternative rock mainstream, but never lost their sense of edgy creativity. They performed and recorded on and off in the ‘90 and early 2000s, in various incarnations with and without Navarro. The original lineup reunited in May 2024 at Bush Hall in London; that victorious, energized live return led to songwriting, with new single “Imminent Redemption” offering up lyrics that seem to be a rallying cry for Jane’s circa 2024 and onward: “Let's make some good trouble / Let's stir up that karma / Let's launch us a comeback.”
The track dropped ahead of a 23-city tour that kicked off on Aug. 9 at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. GRAMMY.com caught up with an energized, loquacious Navarro ahead of that jaunt, Jane’s first with the OG 1985 lineup in 14 years.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Listening to "Imminent Redemption" conjured a mental image of shaking up a two-liter bottle of Coca-Cola; You want to rock out, explosively, and you finally get to do it.
To me, it feels like a follow-up to Ritual. The band right now is in such a great place. We have the original lineup. God bless Chris Chaney, who's one of the best bass players in the world, one of my best friends. He stood in and he did two records with us,15, 20 years.
A lot of the Jane's Addiction material is primarily written from basslines Eric Avery comes up with, and those are usually the memorable singable parts of the song. You might sing the vocal, but you're not singing the guitar part. Sometimes you're not singing the vocal part, but you're singing the intro to "Mountain [Song]" in your head, or the intro to "Three Days." His input is really the musical backbone of the band. When we got together to do these [new] songs, that was immediately there.
We also wanted to keep the music under-produced. We didn't want to go crazy with modern-day technology and all kinds of crazy instrumentation, overdubs and tracks; we wanted to keep it pretty raw. In fact, I think there's parts of "Imminent Redemption" that are reminiscent of Ritual and Nothing Shocking, but I also think it's reminiscent of the Triple X record [1987’s Jane’s Addiction] because there aren't 15 guitar tracks. There aren't synths, there aren't all kinds of things that we ended up doing as we went on and probably will do on other songs.
Lyrically, Perry's coming from such a... I don't want to speak for him, but my interpretation is that it's an aggressive cry for unity and peace. There's a little bit of anger there, but anger in the name of let's not have any anger anymore, if that makes any sense.
It does.
Another weird thing about Jane's Addiction is a lot of our most well-known songs — "Mountain Song," "Stop," "Ocean Size," "Jane Says" — they really don't have choruses. They just, say, have two parts to go back and forth.
So the fact that we got away with "Imminent" and we're able to put a chorus in there is kind of unusual. But I think it works, and it still kind of keeps it like the two-part formula of Jane's Addiction. But then the outro goes into another musical direction, which is also very us, because we get bored within songs.
Do you think "Imminent Redemption" will grow into a record?
There might be stuff I can't talk about, but no one's told me not to talk about it, so that's their problem, I guess!
The idea is to release a full-length album; I would consider it the fourth Jane's Addiction record. The two records we did with Chris Chaney I love, but it's a different band. With this lineup, I really feel like this next record's going to be the follow-up to Ritual. It's really special to be back with Eric and writing with Eric; Eric and I have always worked really well off each other in terms of finding parts that work together and complement one another but are not really the same.It's like we picked up just where we left off.
I don't know if we're going to put out a record or if we're going to put out a song every once in a while. Whatever that master plan is, that I can't speak to. It's either a song comes out every month until there's 12 songs, or we put out a couple songs and then we put out the record. I don't know. We have plenty of completed material already, so it's one way or another it'll all be out there.
A "follow-up record" more than 30 years later…
In some ways, it was such a shame for the band to part at such a musical peak, because I think that record [Ritual] is really, really special. But it also saved us from following it up with something subpar. So it is just part of the legacy. It's part of the story. And so far I've been really happy with everything we've been making.
How has it felt being back on the road?
We just finished a two-month tour of Europe, and I was so grateful to be back out, and doing it with the band, and being able to do it. But man, it was challenging.
It still has that [feel of] the early days, where we were on this edge of this cliff where nobody really knew what was going to happen from time to time, from song to song, in between songs, what Perry was going to say or do. Or if he was going to all of a sudden just go into some stream-of-consciousness banter in the middle of a breakdown of a song. And you just kind of have to pay attention and just feel where it's going to change.
We kind of lost that for a long time. And now that element of surprise has come back to the shows. Also, I think the fact that this last tour was just the four of us on stage with minimal to no production, a couple of lights and four guys playing weird music, that's all we needed. It left room for there to be magical moments that gave you goosebumps because you weren't distracted by a bunch of stuff.
In the broadest sense, what is at the core of what makes this lineup special?
Stephen Perkins and I were in high school together, and we had a heavy metal band. We played heavy metal covers, we wrote heavy metal songs, and we were into technical wizardry. We were into fast guitar playing. He was into Neil Peart.
Perry, at the same time, was doing a goth band called Psi Com. Eric was more in the new wave punk rock world. He was doing different experimental stuff. And we ended up getting together as a result of Stephen dating Eric's sister. Perry and Eric met, and started playing together, and they needed a drummer and a guitar player. And they called us and we got in there.
The formula is that the four of us have no business being together in a band given our backgrounds. Now, since then, they've grown to love some of the music Stephen and I came up with. We've grown to love the music that they came up with. And then it kind of just blossomed.
We decided we weren't any particular kind of band. We were just musicians, and we would just pull from anything. If we wanted to go in a Pink Floyd direction, we'll do that. If we want to go in a Black Sabbath direction, we'll do that. If we want to go in an Iggy direction, we'll do that. But without consciously choosing to, just being open to all genres.
Fans would agree.
That’s kind of like the secret sauce: Combining elements that wouldn't normally go together and putting them together and seeing what happens. It's been a long road. Although in our older years, we do get along very well and have a lot of respect for each other. But coming up and through the early years, it was difficult. There were resentments, there were stylistic differences of opinions. There were multiple breakups, multiple problems that just came from adolescent ego.
Now that we're all at the ages we're at, and just about everybody has a family, we kind of just let go of that. We’re just, "You know what? We had something really special back then, and I don't know what we were complaining about." So we're doing it again.
Morgan Enos and Katherine Turman contributed to this story.
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On This Day In Music: Woodstock '94 Begins In Upstate New York
Held 30 years ago Aug. 12-14, Woodstock '94 featured an eclectic (and muddy) lineup that launched Nine Inch Nails, Green Day and others into the limelight.
Woodstock '94 is no middle child music festival. While not as groundbreaking as Woodstock '69 or as infamous as Woodstock '99, Woodstock '94 boasts a unique legacy that deserves recognition.
Held Aug. 12-14 in the Hudson Valley town of Saugerties, New York, Woodstock '94 was set to commemorate the silver anniversary of the original Woodstock festival in 1969. Nodding to its origins in '69, Woodstock '94 was billed as "2 More Days of Peace and Music" (a third day of the festival was eventually added).
Woodstock '94 featured a wide range of acts that both reflected the nostalgia of Woodstock '69 and highlighted a myriad of new groups. Original Woodstock performers such as Crosby, Stills & Nash (minus Neil Young) and Santana topped the bill, and now-household names including Green Day and Red Hot Chili Peppers performed some of their earliest festival sets.
Even Bob Dylan, who initially declined an appearance at Woodstock '69 despite living near the festival at the time, had a change of heart and agreed to play at Woodstock '94.
It seemed that everyone wanted to capture a sliver of the magic from the original Woodstock. Although roughly 164,000 tickets were sold, the actual number of attendees exceeded 350,000 (surpassing even Coachella 2024's attendance rates).
Spirits were high as the festival opened on Friday with dry, sunny skies highlighting performances from Sheryl Crow, Collective Soul, and others. By the weekend, the weather took a turn and transformed the festival grounds at Winston Farm in Saugerties into a giant muddy puddle. Although Woodstock '69 was also rainy and mud-filled, the madness that ensued at Woodstock '94 led it to be dubbed "Mudstock."
As Primus performed "My Name Is Mud" on Saturday, festival-goers seized the opportunity to fling the wet dirt at the band on stage.
"Once I started singing the words to "My Name Is Mud," all of a sudden huge chunks of sod started flying my way and it was pretty frightening," Primus' lead singer told Billboard 20 years later. "I still have those [speaker] cabinets to this day, and those cabinets still have mud in them."
With high energy from Friday's acts and some mud-induced chaos, attendees were buzzing with anticipation and excitement for the rest of the weekend. The party atmosphere continued throughout day two — and not solely because Blind Melon lead vocalist Shannon Hoon strolled on stage tripping on acid, wearing his girlfriend's dress.
Aerosmith may have been day two headliners, but Nine Inch Nails' 15-song set remains a highlight of Woodstock '94. The band drew the biggest crowd of the festival, and were catapulted into wider mainstream visibility. Taking advantage of the unpredictable weather, then-bassist Danny Lohner pushed lead vocalist Trent Reznor into the mud, prompting Reznor to retaliate. The other members of the band soon joined in on the fun, strutting onto the stage covered in mud.
Opening with Pretty Hate Machine's "Terrible Lie," NIN turned the massive audience into a giant mosh pit and maintained that high energy until the end of the set. While the band faced technological difficulties onstage, it only seemed to enhance their raw, gritty image.
The set was so celebrated that it is forever memorialized in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with art installations featuring a life-sized mannequin replica of Reznor singing into the microphone and his keyboard, both covered in mud.
By day three, Woodstock '94 was clearly becoming an iconic music festival that would be discussed for years to come. If Saturday's mud-slinging electric performances weren't enough, the final day of the festival featured performances from Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bob Dylan, Santana, and others.
When Green Day — fresh off the success of their third studio album Dookie — took the stage, all hell broke loose. While the band was and continues to be known for their rowdy live sets, their performance at Woodstock '94 remains unmatched.
By the time Green Day started performing, the fairgrounds had turned into a full-blown mud fight. The band tried to push through the performance and embrace the chaos, but the set came to an abrupt stop when lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong told the crowd, "Everybody say shut the f— up and we’ll stop playing." When the crowd shouted the phrase back, Armstrong said goodbye on behalf of the band, and the rest of the group fled the stage.
By the end of the performance, lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong had lost his pants and the band had to be escorted out of the festival grounds by a helicopter. On their way off the stage, security confused mud-covered bassist Mike Dirnt for a crazed fan and tackled him, leaving him with five fewer teeth than he started the set with.
"He actually sheared my teeth, and I blew like five teeth. Only one of them died. I fixed the rest of them, but he all sheared up the back of my teeth," Dirnt confessed to The Aquarian in 2013. "It was horrible. But the great thing about it is that I was able to get out of there, and I'd do it again tomorrow if I had to."
Peter Gabriel closed out the weekend by remaining true to the original mission of the festival, offering fans peace filled with good vibes. Gabriel's music, though deeply contrasting with the hard rock and punk acts that dominated the festival, provided a flawless end to the chaos that had unfolded over the past three days.
While the 1994 installment of Woodstock hasn't basked in the same spotlight as its 1969 and 1999 siblings — the latter of which has been the subject of two documentaries in as many years — it remains far from forgotten.
Woodstock '94 stands as one of the legendary music festivals of all time. Although the rain may have soaked the grounds, turning it into a muddy catastrophe, it also nourished the roots of some of the most iconic musical acts and sent them into the mainstream media. The festival was more than just a series of performances, but rather a unique cultural event.
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