Today marks the tragic and senseless murder of John Lennon. A man that represented so much to so many was gunned down by a maniac 28 years ago. It all started with the music, even innocent songs like “I Want to Hold Your Hand” were seen as controversial at the time but as a generation grew and began to ask questions, John did as well and let the world know through his music. He just wanted the everyone to give peace a chance but was viewed as a threat by the government and many others, sadly. Seen as more than just an entertainer but a leader for the peace movement in politics and humanity, John lived a life both admiration and condemnation.

Twenty eight years later people still gather in at the Strawberry Fields memorial in Central Park, just across the road from the Dakota. I often wonder what John would be doing now, what would his views be on the current situation with the world. What music would he have made over the past two decades. We’ll never know but John’s spirit and memory remains alive in the music he created and the mark he left on the world and the minds of millions.

“We all shine on, like the moon and the stars and sun…”

Mitch Mitchell, the last surviving member of the original line up of the Jimi Hendrix Experience died November 12, 2008 of what was reported to be natural causes. Mitchell, who got his start as a touring and session musician with a handful of bands that included The Pretty Things, hit his groove when he joined the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Not expecting much of the gig at the time, the jazzy style that Mitch brought to the band was the perfect counterpart to Jimi’s guitar playing, often playing off each other both in recording sessions and especially in concert.

Mitchell’s sound on such tracks as Manic Depression, Third Stone from the Sun, Voodoo Chile (slight return) and many more are unforgettable. Are You Experienced?, Axis: Bold As Love and Electric Ladyland have always had a special place in my heart and mind, brilliant, classic albums. Mitchell is also credited with pushing Eddie Kramer to finish and release the Cry of Love album. Without Mitchell’s insistence, it may have never seen the light of day.

After the Jimi Hendrix Experience broke up in 1969, Mitchell stuck around and played Woodstock with Jimi and the Isle of Wright concert. Following Jimi’s death, Mitchell stayed under the radar for the most part, working with Eddie Kramer on Hendrix’s unfinished material as well as Hendrix videos and interviews. More recently he played in a couple of tribute bands, Gypsy Sun Experience and the most recent, the Experience Hendrix, which in addition to Mitchell, featured other such artists including Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Eric Johnson, Cesar Rosas, David Hidalgo, Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford, Hubert Sumlin, Chris Layton, Eric Gales and Mato Nanji.

Mitchell’s final days were filled with touring with the Experience Hendrix band celebrating the music Jimi and Mitchell created together. Five days after finishing their tour in Portland, Oregon, Mitchell was found dead in his hotel room at 3AM on November 12th. That same day he was to return to England. Noel Redding, bassist for The Jimi Hendrix Experience died in 2003. Throw on your favorite Jimi Hendrix Experience album and have a listen for ole’ Mitch. He was one helluva drummer.

In recent news, AC/DC has extended their Black Ice World Tour into the New Year by adding 16 more North American stops. These new dates stretch from Ft. Lauderdale, FL on December 20th right through to Nashville, TN on January 31, 2009. The tour kicks off on October 28, 2008 in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

And, of course, members of the AC/DC Fan Club can reap the rewards by gaining special access to tickets the minute they go on sale. If you are willing to join the fan club at a fee of $40.00, you can access special tickets, which go on sale the moment the public ones are released.

Below you will find the additional tour dates and their associated ticket sale dates. Keep in mind that concert tickets sold out in record time for the first set of dates.

Dec 20, 2008 - Ft. Lauderdale FL US Bank Atlantic Center - SALE: October 4
Dec 21, 2008 - Tampa FL US St. Pete Times Forum - SALE: October 4
Jan 05, 2009 - Cleveland OH US Quicken Loans Arena - SALE: October 4
Jan 07, 2009 - Pittsburgh PA US Mellon Arena - SALE: October 11
Jan 09, 2009 - Toronto ON CA Rogers Centre - SALE: October 10
Jan 11, 2009 - Cincinnati OH US U.S. Bank Arena - SALE: October 11
Jan 13, 2009 - St. Louis MO US Scottrade Center - SALE: October 11
Jan 15, 2009 - Omaha NE US Qwest Center Omaha - SALE: October 11
Jan 17, 2009 - Fargo ND US Fargodome - SALE: October 11
Jan 19, 2009 - Minneapolis MN US Xcel Energy Center - SALE: October 11
Jan 21, 2009 - Kansas City MO US Sprint Center - SALE: October 11
Jan 23, 2009 - Dallas TX US American Airlines Center - SALE: October 11
Jan 26, 2009 - Tulsa OK US BOK Center - SALE: October 11
Jan 28, 2009 - Little Rock AR US ALLTELL Arena - SALE: October 18
Jan 30, 2009 - Memphis TN US FedEx Forum - SALE: October 18
Jan 31, 2009 - Nashville TN US Sommet Center – SALE: October 11

Don’t panic if AC/DC is not yet scheduled in your city because additional appearances throughout North and South America, Europe, and Asia, will be announced shortly.

Also, there is still 19 days until the release of AC/DC’s latest studio album Black Ice, set to hit Wal-Mart shelves on October 20, 2008. You can also pre-order your album through ticketmaster when you purchase concert tickets. But, if you can’t wait, you can even pre-order it through Wal-Mart today!

The legendary Australian band is celebrating 35 years of rock ‘n’ roll with a widely-anticipated Black Ice World Tour, which opens on October 28th at the Wachovia Arena in Wilkes-Barre, PA. The tour begins just a few days after the release of their new album, sold exclusively through Wal-Mart, on October 21st. The album’s first single, “Rock ‘N’ Roll Train” was released to radio on August 28 and immediately climbed to #1 at Rock Radio. The video is set to debut on September 19th.

This worldwide tour is the first since 2001. The tour kicks off a series of arena shows, and then it heads to Asia and Europe before returning to North American for a round of stadium shows scheduled for next summer. Tickets for upcoming dates will go on sale the weekend of September 20th through Ticketmaster, but no prices or specific details have yet been announced. The additional appearances throughout North and South America, Europe, and Asia, are said to be announced shortly. For further information, you can visit the band’s website, www.acdc.com.

Although, the general public may have a difficult time getting their hands on some quality tickets for this tour since the launch of the new ACDC fan club, which offers special treatment, including select tickets, to those willing to shell out $40.00. These pre-sales and special sales only prevent loyal fans from getting to see the show; not to mention the fact that they give scalpers an ideal opportunity to cash in.

As a faithful follower, it is hard to admit, but it almost seems that ACDC is really in it for the money. First they sell exclusively through one store, a so-called discount store, in an effort to keep the CD industry alive and now they are setting aside special tickets for those who can afford their fan club membership. Of course you get special access to those little extras, but what about those who don’t want or need all their merchandise and prefer to see them perform? Furthermore, if this is the band’s way of overpowering companies like Ticketmaster that set aside premium tickets for other companies, like TicketsNow who offer incredibly over-priced tickets to those who can afford to avoid the mad rush for the best seats available, could they not have made the fan club free?

The tour schedule to date:

October 28: Wilkes-Barre, Pa. (Wachovia Arena)
October 30: Chicago (Allstate Arena)
November 3: Indianapolis (Conseco Fieldhouse)
November 5: Auburn Hills, Mich. (Palace of Auburn Hills)
November 7: Toronto (Rogers Centre)
November 9: Boston (TD Banknorth Garden)
November 12-13: New York (Madison Square Garden)
November 15: Washington, D.C. (Verizon Center)
November 17: Philadelphia (Wachovia Center)
November 19: East Rutherford, N.J. (IZOD Center)
November 21: Columbus, Ohio (Schottenstein Center)
November 23: Minneapolis (Xcel Energy Center)
November 25: Denver (Pepsi Center)
November 28: Vancouver (General Motors Place)
November 29: Seattle (KeyArena)
November 30: Tacoma, Wash. (Tacoma Dome)
December 2: Oakland, Calif. (Oracle Arena)
December 6: Los Angeles (The Forum)
December 10: Phoenix (US Airways Center)
December 12: San Antonio (AT&T Center)
December 14: Houston (Toyota Center)
December 16: Atlanta (Philips Arena)
December 18: Charlotte, N.C. (Time Warner Cable Arena)

For some, “Guitar Hero” is not just a game, but a career. And, for sixteen year old Blake Peebles it is just that. He has dropped out of high school to pursue his career as a guitar hero with the full support of his parents. When Blake is not playing for his friends, family and locals of North Raleigh, he is winning gift certificates, gaming equipment and other prizes at “Guitar Hero” tournaments.

To date, Blake has won about $1,000 in prizes. It is hard to believe that parents would allow their teenager to drop out of school to concentrate on gaming. It is even harder to believe that anyone could actually earn a living playing video games. Of course, Blake’s parents have hired tutors does not fall behind. Even so, Blake aspires to be part of the few professional gamers in existence.

Although it seems so unbelievable that this could be a profitable career choice, Major League Gaming, a company that has over 125 gamers signed to management deal, holds tournaments all across the country. These gamers can earn over $80,000 per year, however the average income typically only ranges from $20,000 to $30,000 per year. Blake estimates that he is among the top 15 or 20 in the online world for his country, which has qualified him for the World Cyber Games in California this month. If Blake wins, he will then represent the US at the “Guitar Hero III” world tournament in Germany.

Another gamer, Terry Lindle has been in the competitive gaming profession for 8 years now and he estimates having earned only $25,000 in that entire period; a mere $3,125 per year. He also admits that to earn any real revenue, a gamer must win tournaments and rank among the top 1% to be noticed by sponsors. Also, “Guitar Hero” is not currently one of the big money games either.

With all this in mind, have Blake and his parents made the right choice? My guess is, probably not. Is this any different than quitting school and devoting your life to sports or is this just every kid’s dream come true? After all, Blake stays up well past a normal bedtime playing video games and alters his bedroom to accommodate his gaming career. My opinion is that Blake might have been better off picking up a real guitar and taking a stab at becoming a true guitar hero like Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page or Tony Iommi.

June 14th, 2008 marked the opening of the world famous singer/songwriter, Bob Dylan’s first major art exhibit at the Halcyon Gallery in London. In addition, Dylan’s signed limited edition graphics’ are being premiered at select galleries across the UK.

This showing is only the second time that Bob Dylan has allowed his works to be displayed publicly. The first show lasted 3 months during the fall of 2007 at the Chemnitz Museum in Germany. This exhibit also featured the drawings from Dylan’s published 1994 book entitled: Drawn Blank.

“The Drawn Blank series features a collection of pencil, watercolor and gouache works that Dylan completed during his time on the road from 1989 to 1992″ - Rolling Stone Magazine

In a career spanning over the past five decades, Dylan has sold over 110 million albums, performed thousands of shows around the world, released 44 albums, and written over 500 songs. Some of Bob Dylan’s classics include: Blowin’ in the Wind, Like a Rolling Stone, The Times They Are A-Changin’ and many, many more.

Fans are sure to recognize the raw emotion of Dylan’s lyrics spilling onto the canvas. For further information, visit the official website at www.bobdylanart.com.

Once again rumours are circulating regarding the possibility of an upcoming tour for the Australian rock legend AC/DC. Eddie Trunk of XM’s Boneyard/VH1 Classic leaked a rumour on his “Friday Night Rocks” radio show on New York’s Q104.3 FM that AC/DC may be embarking on a “farewell” tour.

Reports of a new album being near complete in January were denied by label, Albert Records. Nevertheless, eight years after the release of the latest AC/DC album “Stiff Upper Lip” bassist Cliff Williams reported that the band would begin recording a new album March 1st.

Although, the prospect of a new album is exciting and a tour is even more so, Williams did not suggest any likelihood of a tour in the near future, however he did suggest that it should happen at some point in time. He explained, “If we go out again or when we go out again, you just never know. We’ve been around a long time, so we’re going to get together and get in the studio and I fully expect we will (tour). I don’t mean to be so negative about that.” - Article

I suppose all we can do is sit and wait.

Friday April 4th marks the release of the long awaited Rolling Stones documentary “Shine A Light“, directed by Martin Scorsese. The film combines shots of the October 2006 concert at New York’s Beacon Theatre with archival footage and limited contemporary interviews.

Scorsese, an obvious fan, states: “The music has been very important to me over the years. It dealt with aspects of the life that I was growing up around, that I was associated with or saw or was experiencing and trying to make sense of” (Article). Scorsese has also shown his affection for the band by featuring the song “Gimme Shelter” in Casino, The Departed and Good Fellas.

“Shine A Light” consists of 17 songs, which include many of the big hits such as “Jumpin’ Jack Flash“, “Start Me Up” and “Brown Sugar“. The film also has guest appearances by blues legend Buddy Guy, White Stripes guitarist Jack White and singer Christina Aguilera.

Front man Mick Jagger preferred to feature a larger show, however Scorsese won the battle for a more intimate venue. Keith Richards is content with the choice as he is a big fan of the Beacon Theatre and alludes to the appropriateness as the Rolling Stones started off in these types of venues, not stadiums. The intimacy should be well displayed across the IMAX screens this Friday.

This April reality TV fanatics and music fans can look forward to a new television series called Rock The Cradle. The show premieres on April 3, 2008. This American Idol knockoff will consist of eight competitors, each having parents that are celebrities in the music industry. Some with classic rock lineage are:

Lucy Walsh, daughter of Joe Walsh from the classic Eagles.

Jesse Money, daughter of Eddie Money who achieved huge success in the 70s and 80s with slew of top 40 hits and platinum albums.

Jesse Blaze Snider, son of Dee Snider who is known for his outrageous hair from the renown 80s hair band Twisted Sister. Dee hosted MTV’s first Heavy Metal show in 1985 called Heavy Metal Mania and he now performs a popular radio show called The House of Hair.

Laura Johnston, daughter of Tom Johnston of the Doobie Brothers’ who recorded hits such as China Grove and Listen to the Music. The band has also sold over 22 million albums since they began in the 70s.

Crosby Loggins, son of Kenny Loggins who is synonymous with Caddyshack and Footloose.

Others include:

Landon Brown, son of Bobby Brown, American R&B singer, songwriter and dancer.

Lil Al B Sure, son of R&B star, Al B Sure, American singer, songwriter and record producer.

Chloe Rose Lattanzi, daughter of Olivia Newton John, the popular Sandra Dee from the hit Grease.

AKeiba Burrell Hammer, daughter of MC Hammer who will always be remembered for his Hammer Pants.

Tune in to see if the torch has been passed on Thursday, April 3rd at 10PM ET/PT.

This day in classic rock:
1965 - Eric Clapton leaves Yardbirds, considering the group to have become ‘too commercial’.

Rock legend Eric Clapton has been invited by North Korean officials to play in the communist country. Rock music has been virtually shunned there but reportedly the possible reason for his invitation: Kim Jong Il’s son is a Clapton fan. Although Clapton has not agreed to play, should he, it would be a first for North Korea.

“Eric Clapton is a well-known musician and guitarist, famous throughout the world. It will be a good opportunity for Western music to be understood better by Koreans,” an unnamed Korean official said. They hope invitations like this will help improve cultural ties between North Korea and the western world, ties which have been severely strained in the recent past.

The New York Philharmonic played to North Korea’s elite yesterday, the largest American presence in the country since the end of the Korean war in 1953. Playing both the North Korean and American national anthems, after countless standing ovations and three encores some performers were seen moved to tears as they left the stage.

Could music be the international language of understanding needed for North Korea to end nuclear weapons production and possibly even one day embrace peace and freedom? Lets hope so.