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Tag: Rob Thomas

  • This Day in Rock History: February 14

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    Valentine’s Day isn’t the only thing special about Feb. 14. This was also the day that Wayne’s World premiered in the U.S. The movie featured iconic rock music moments, and the soundtrack topped the Billboard 200. Want more trivia from this day in rock music history? Here, you’ll discover the most memorable past events of Feb. 14 that have influenced the rock music industry.

    Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

    These Feb. 14 hits helped get rock music to where it is today:

    • 1985: Whitney Houston released her self-titled debut album via Arista Records. After a slow start, it eventually reached the top of the US Billboard 200 albums chart and became the best-selling debut album of all time by a solo artist, launching the stellar career that eventually earned her a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
    • 1987: Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” from their third album hit the top of the U.S. singles chart, becoming their second No. 1 hit.
    • 1999: Lenny Kravitz’s “Fly Away“, the fourth single from his fifth studio album, 5, reached the top spot on the UK singles chart. It was his first UK No. 1 and also earned him a GRAMMY for Best Male Rock Performance.
    • 2006: The Veronicas’ debut album The Secret Life of… is released in the United States. 

    Cultural Milestones

    It’s hard to imagine where rock music would be today if it hadn’t been for these cultural events that took place on Feb. 14:

    • 1972: Rob Thomas, a singer-songwriter and lead vocalist for Matchbox Twenty, was born on this day. Although he had a rocky childhood and a rough start to his music career, his band went on to have several hit songs and albums.
    • 2000: KISS announced they would do a farewell tour that would end with an auction of their stage props. Of course, this wasn’t the last tour for the band as they continued touring until 2023, but it was the final tour to have Ace Frehley as a band member.

    Notable Recordings and Performances

    Major rock moments that happened on Feb. 14 include:

    • 1967: Aretha Franklin recorded her famous version of Otis Redding’s “Respect” at New York City’s Atlantic Studios. It quickly became a hit, topping the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and earning her two GRAMMY awards at the 1968 ceremony.
    • 1970: The Who performed an iconic concert at Leeds University’s Refectory. It was an amazing performance by a band at its peak and was captured and released as the Live at Leeds live album, which is widely seen as one of the best live albums of all time.
    • 1973: Toward the end of a performance at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, David Bowie collapsed while singing an encore of “Five Years.” He passed out suddenly, shocking the audience, and a nurse later said Bowie was exhausted after completing 91 performances on his Ziggy Stardust tour.
    • 2010: A cover of REM’s “Everybody Hurts” entered the charts. It was recorded for charity to help earthquake victims in Haiti. The recording featured big names such as Jon Bon Jovi, Mariah Carey, Robbie Williams, and Miley Cyrus, and the song reached No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart.

    Industry Changes and Challenges

    Rock music experienced these challenges on Feb. 14:

    • 1981: Billy Idol left the band Generation X to become a solo artist, moving to New York City. He released his self-titled debut album in 1982, which included the song “White Wedding.”
    • 2010: Doug Fieger, co-writer of the 1979 hit song “My Sharona” and lead vocalist for The Knack, died after a battle with lung cancer. He was only 57.

    These historical events from Feb. 14 have affected the rock music landscape. Remember these moments, whether you’re celebrating with your special someone today or just rocking out alone.

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    Dan Teodorescu

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  • Houston Concert Watch 8/27: The Weeknd, Shinedown and More

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    It would certainly be an accurate statement – really more of an understatement – to say that Axl Rose is not universally beloved. Whether it was making fans wait for hours before beginning Guns N’ Roses concerts in the ‘90s to going through bandmates like Kleenex later in his career, it is fair to say that the red-haired rocker has not made many friends over the years.

    The latest reason not to like Rose involves (allegedly) his holding on to a master tape of an all-star recording session. According to drummer Zak Starkey (recently formerly of The Who, but that’s another rock and roll pissing match entirely), Rose refuses to return the master tape of a song that was intended to be part of an album which would raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

    Slash, Duff McKagan, Elton John and Ringo Starr all contributed to a cover of T. Rex’s “Children of the Revolution,” and Rose was supposed to record a vocal track to finish the production. However (again, according to Starkey), Rose has procrastinated and failed to record his part and return the master tapes for over a year, allegedly costing the Teenage Cancer Trust over $2 million dollars.

    Starkey posted on Instagram that the album-in-limbo includes contributions from “more than one Beatle, a Smith, a Pretender, an Ashcroft, an Iggy and many more.” He added that he hopes the charity album can be released “without greedy bean counting majors wanting 75 percent (I won’t say which label, but fuck me, this is for sick kids).” Starkey also appealed directly to Rose, posting, “C’mon, bro…”

    Ticket Alert

    Combine the influences of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Waylon Jennings, Hank Jr. and the like, let it simmer for a while in deep East Texas and what do you get? You get Whiskey Myers, a band that manages to straddle the fence between rock and country without compromising its balls. There are still a few tickets available for the band’s show on Saturday, September 27, at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, but don’t wait around too long.

    Austin’s Band of Heathens made a name for itself playing at Antone’s and the clubs on 6th street, quickly becoming one of the foremost exponents of the Americana music form. The Heathens will begin their 20th anniversary celebration with a show at the Heights Theater on Saturday, November 22. The band promises a two-set evening, so it will be all Heathens all the time.

    Is there anyone funkier than George Clinton? No. The answer is no. To paraphrase the Bard, “Funk, thy name is Clinton.” The mastermind behind Parliament, Funkadelic, P-Funk and the Brides of Funkenstein will tear the roof off the mothersucker on Friday, November 28, at the House of Blues. Get your tickets now if you want the funk and / or gotta have the funk.

    Concerts This Week

    Shinedown’s “Dance, Kid, Dance” tour will make a stop at Toyota Center tonight, with Bush and Morgan Wade opening. Not content with garden variety merch like t-shirts, caps and hoodies, Shinedown has introduced a signature line of hot sauces, each named after one of the band’s songs: Symptom Chipotle Garlic Sauce, Devour Pineapple Jerk Sauce and Attention Attention Mango Habanero Sauce.

    George Thorogood has never wandered far from his formula of loud guitars, salacious vocals and a Bo Diddley beat, but who can blame him? If it ain’t broke, as they say. You can catch Mr. Bad to the Bone tonight at the House of Blues.

    Whether performing as a solo artist, a member of Matchbox 20 or Carlos Santana’s sidekick, Rob Thomas has been a hit machine for well over two decades. When his “All Night Days” tour hits the Smart Financial Centre on Saturday, fans will have a number of up-close-and-personal VIP options to choose from, including a premium package featuring a photo op with Thomas, the chance to watch a few songs from the wings and an autographed guitar.

    The biggest concerts in town this week are The Weeknd’s two shows at NRG Stadium on Saturday and Sunday. As the record holder for most Spotify streams at over one billion for his song “Blinding Lights,” it’s no wonder he can fill up a stadium two nights in a row. ‘Cause Knowledge is Power: So what’s the deal with leaving an “e” out of Weeknd? There are several theories surrounding the singer’s professional name, but the most likely explanation is that the spelling was chosen so as to avoid any legal difficulties with a Canadian band known as The Weekend.

    For those unfamiliar with Steel Panther, the band might best be described as an American little brother to Spinal Tap. The Panther of Steel skewers just about every heavy metal cliché that exists, but it is done with love, so the ribbing never comes off as nasty. But their song lyrics? Now those are nasty. Get ready to throw those devil horns and sing along with “Boomerang Poontang,” “Always Gonna Be a Ho” and “Bukkake Tears” when the band plays Warehouse Live Midtown on Sunday.

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    Tom Richards

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  • The Onion’s 2023 Holiday Gift Guide

    The Onion’s 2023 Holiday Gift Guide

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    Eight of the world’s signature flames can be yours with this collector’s set of handcrafted fires made from a variety of flammable materials from around the globe. Includes Zimbabwe thatch hut, old-growth forest, jagged wreckage, Appalachian tinder, residential, chemical plant, Tokyo five-alarm, and sagebrush.

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