KEITH RICHARDS: To Tour or Not to Tour
It took 23 years, but Keith Richards is back with his third solo studio album.
Crosseyed Heart is out, accompanied by Under the Influence, a documentary on Netflix that looks at the making of the record as well as his life and career.
Keith recorded the album with his longtime accomplice, drummer-producer Steve Jordan. He says it was finished before he realized he was tipping his hat to many of the artists who had influenced him. "There was no intention about that [and] I'm kind of happy about it in a way because us minstrels, when all is said and done, the best thing you put on a minstrel's tombstone is, 'Well he passed it on.'"
Asked what he wants his fans to get from listening to it, Keith tells us, "A smile and love."
Keith promoted the album with appearances on NBC's Today show followed by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He's made the media rounds this past month in both the U.S. and Europe, but will Keith's release of his new album, Crosseyed Heart, be accompanied by a tour?
He tells us he wants to, but logistically doesn't know if he can. "I'd love to because I always think that a record isn't finished until you play it on stage. We'll do our best and see what happens."
Keith's last solo tour was in 1993, following the release of his second studio album, Main Offender.
SARAH MCLACHLAN: Monkey Off Her Back
Sarah McLachlan had hoped to make some inroads into the musical theater jungle when she signed on to write songs for a King Kong musical back in 2013 -- but that plan has finally been shot down for good.
The original got a critical thumbs up for its staging and some of the songs, created by Sarah and trance-pop stalwarts Massive Attack when it premiered in Australia, but the script got a big thumbs down. Now, producers have decided to go back to square one entirely, replacing Sarah's work with a new score from Jason Robert Brown and Marsha Norman, who won a Tony for their adaptation of Bridges of Madison County.
No word on a possible opening night, but the principals will do a test run later this fall in the Big Apple. (Broadway.com)
O.A.R.: Cruising From Some Brews-in
O.A.R. are the headline act on the inaugural Lebrewski Cruise.
As implied by its name, the cruise is focused on craft beers and will include meet-and-greets with celebrity brewers as well as discussions about making beer. The cruise leaves Miami on March 1st, sails to the Bahamas and returns on March 5th. Other acts performing on the boat include Kyle Hollingsworth of String Cheese Incident (who is a brewer and host of the cruise), The Samples, Alpha Rev, Molly Hatchet and The Fabulous Thunderbirds.
For you beer geeks out there, the cruise will include folks from Stone, Lagunitas, Boulder and Cigar City.
O.A.R. will headline the first Lebrewski Cruise in March. http://bit.ly/1ODOvZ0 - Tweet
DECEMBERISTS, DYLAN, BEACH BOYS: On New Mad Men Comp
The Decemberists, Bob Dylan and The Beach Boys are among the artists on a new album featuring music from the AMC series Mad Men.
Retrospective: The Music of Mad Men will be out digitally on October 9th, and it has selections from throughout the show's seven seasons -- including the infamous "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" from the series finale. It will also be released as a special double-vinyl edition with a Crosley Executive Turntable that can only be purchased online through the Mad Men shop.
MORRISSEY: Says He's Doing His Final U.K. shows
Morrissey says his shows Sunday and Monday in London could be his last ever in England.
The ex-Smiths vocalist says that since he can't find a major label to release his new material, "without new releases, there is no point in any additional touring. Thank you for so many absolutely incredible times. The pleasure and privilege is mine." Morrissey released his last album, World Peace Is None of Your Business, in 2014, but had a falling out with Harvest Records just after it came out and was dropped by the label.
Morrissey has shows set throughout Europe and South America through late December, and if he can't find a label to release his new music in those countries, perhaps his days of touring the world are over, too.
JOHN FOGERTY: Lonesome Conversation
John Fogerty has a few special events planned around the October 6th publication of his autobiography, Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music.
In addition to a previously announced Q&A and performance for Chase credit card members in New York, Fogerty will sit down for a conversation with George Thorogood on October 12th at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. Also on the schedule:
10/6 - New York, NY - Q&A at the 92nd St Y
10/8 - New York, NY - Signing at Barnes and Noble - 555 Fifth Avenue
10/13 - Los Angeles, CA - Q&A at Barnes & Noble - The Grove
10/16 - Los Angeles, CA - Q&A at the Grammy Museum
All dates subject to change
