Whereas Slash and Betty White Make Commercials Together And I Nearly Die

Pretty much my two favorite things just converged into a new commercial for the LAIR at the L.A. Zoo: Glam metal + Betty White. The duo made five spots in total.

In case you didn't know, The Golden Girls is my favorite television show of all time and of course Betty White was one of the stars of the ensemble cast for that award winning show. Now Betty stars in the TV Land original sitcom Hot in Cleveland, which I also love. (And in case you didn't know, Valerie Bertinelli is another star of Hot in Cleveland and there are tons of rock/Van Halen jokes on the show). Anyway, imagine my excitement when I first saw the Betty + Slash commercial. The duo teamed up to promote LAIR (Living Amphibians, Invertebrates, and Reptiles), a new attraction that will feature 60 species of rare and endangered amphibians, invertebrates and reptiles at the L.A. Zoo.

Betty White is a big time animal lover. She's always been involved with zoos and she even recently wrote a book about her life in the zoo. I'm sure you're already aware of Slash's love for reptiles... so really, the pairing makes sense all things considered, right?

Betty is a board member for the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association... and Slash earned recognition from zoo officials for contributions to the wildlife center. Check out a couple of the ads.

Iron Maiden Plan Classics Tour But Promise "Surprises"

Concert season is coming up again, and every dedicated Iron Maiden fan knows they did a new album and tour over the past few years, so now it's time in the cycle for a "classics" tour.

I admit to being a little mystified, because the Somewhere Back In Time tour, based around the DVD release of Live After Death, included songs from Somewhere Back In Time and Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son, rather than take in only songs from that DVD, but now they are touring on the DVD release of Maiden England, which was shot on the Seventh Son tour. The setlist from that DVD is as follows:

Moonchild
The Evil That Men Do
The Prisoner
Still Life
Die With Your Boots On
Infinite Dreams
Killers
Can I Play With Madness
Heaven Can Wait
Wasted Years
The Clairvoyant
Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son
The Number Of The Beast
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Iron Maiden

As you can see, they did a lot of these songs last time. But Bruce Dickinson is saying they will do 2/3 of this setlist, with some surprises, so I can hope that may mean "Flight of Icarus" and "Children of the Damned." Either way, I am hitting the fan club pre-sale this week, and planning on seeing the final two shows of the tour in Texas this August.

Will you go and see Iron Maiden in 2012?

Charm City Devils Cover Bluegrass Classic, Make It Work

First things first folks... you need to know that your Glam mistress is a big fan of Bluegrass. In fact, I consider Alison Krauss + Union Station one of my favorite bands. I saw AK + US last summer (third row!) and it was by far one of the single best concerts I've ever attended.

Imagine my surprise when I hopped in the car to go to Lowes yesterday. The Charm City Devils come on... covering "Man of Constant Sorrow." The song was first published in a Richard Burnett songbook all the way back in 1913.

The song has been covered by many artists including Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart and the Soggy Bottom Boys. (That's the fictional band in the film O Brother Where Art Thou?) Anyway, "Man of Constant Sorrow" is a huge song in the folk/bluegrass canon and I couldn't believe that I was hearing a Glam band covering the tune. Even more surprising is that the Charm City Devils made the cover work. I love the risk this represents! You can buy the Charm City Devils cover on iTunes. The song will be on the upcoming Charm City Devils album SINS.

Fantasy vs. Fantasy

Steel Panther "Fantasy" vs. Aldo Nova "Fantasy." You decide. I pick Steel Panther's cover. The version is also used as the theme song to the MTV show Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory.

Black Sabbath Will Do One American Show... But Which One?

Remember how the entire metal music world nearly went hysterical a few months back when the official Black Sabbath reunion was announced? Then things started going downhill fast... Tony Iommi was diagnosed with lymphoma and there was Bill Ward’s contract dispute...

So all those problems lead to the cancellation of the official Sabbath reunion and the tour suddenly became Ozzy Osbourne and friends or something like that. Now there's word that Sabbath WILL do  a single reunion show in America this year.  The show will be in August and it will be a festival. What festivals are in America in August? Lollapalooza comes to mind. That fest is August 3 - 5... and I can't think of any other events that are big enough to afford Sabbath. The Lollapalooza lineup is usually announced sometime in late April

Black Sabbath will play the U.K. Download festival in June. The original Black Sabbath (without Ward) continue to work on new material.

I suspect if Sabbath DOES do Lollapalooza... there will be a lot of confused hipsters in the crowd. I can say that because I did Lolla once. Huge event, amazing crowds... and a whole lot of diverse music. Big plus: the food tents are insane. Seriously.

Rock Never Stops (Redux)!

Holy Glam! Check out this ad-mat. Rock Never Stops is apparently returning and will feature Dokken, Quiet Riot, Firehouse, Y&T, and Trixter! The tour dates/stops haven't been announced yet... the dates are coming soon. This is going to rock. I love traveling festivals!

I Want To See the REO Speedwagon, STYX and Ted Nugent Tour!

This summer is shaping up to be awesome for tours. Yesterday, another tour I want to see was announced: STYX, REO Speedwagon and Ted Nugent. I sort of wonder if these bands could fill the TBA slots on Rock Fest? I wish this tour was part of M3, but oh well I guess. Also, I think it would be hilarious to get front row seats for this and wear my "LIBERAL" shirt just to mess with the Nuge. In normal times, I'd go ahead and get some tickets for the Cincinnati show when the on-sale begins next month... but since Aerosmith is supposedly touring this summer I have to wait to make plans (there's only so much money after all). Are you waiting for any bands to announce before planning your summer concert schedule?

Here's the tour details:

February 22, 2012 – Over 80 million albums sold worldwide.  12 Top 10 smash hit singles.  Thousands of concerts performed.  The time has come for the ultimate convergence of Rock’s finest from the Midwest.  REO Speedwagon, STYX and Ted Nugent will join forces for “The Midwest Rock ‘n Roll Express” 30-date U.S. tour.  Rolling out May 1 in Hidalgo, TX, tickets for various cities will go on sale starting February 22.

 

“Forget all those TV shows with glee clubs singing Rock songs,” exclaims STYX guitarist/singer James “JY” Young.  “It’s time for mega-Platinum Illinois bands STYX and REO Speedwagon in a battle to the end of the Mayan Calendar with the Motor City Madman!” 

 

"I am a Midwest boy, born and raised with Midwest values,” continues REO Speedwagon singer/guitarist Kevin Cronin.  “In the Midwest we work hard, play hard, and rock hard.  I am proud to join my brothers in STYX and Ted Nugent to celebrate Midwest rock 'n roll and represent the greatest rock fans in the world.  I am ready to climb aboard the ‘Midwest Rock 'n Roll Express!’  Rock On baby!"

 

As STYX singer/guitarist Tommy Shaw proclaims, “It's gonna be a Twang Fest of screaming guitars and big, sing-along choruses that continue to be the soundtrack for the misbehavior of our collective fan base.  In other words, a real good time.”

 

Ted Nugent couldn’t agree more.  “The heart and soul of American R&B&R&R has always gushed forth from the heartland of America.  REO, STYX and The Nuge have always celebrated the power of our special music and on the mighty ‘Midwest Rock ‘n Roll Express,’ the energy, attitude and spirit is more intense than ever.  This is the soundtrack for the hardcore.”

 

Check out “The Midwest Rock ‘n Roll Express” at any of the following stops.  Ted Nugent hits the stage at 7:00pm at every stop unless noted otherwise.

May:

1 Hidalgo, TX State Farm Arena
3 Albuquerque, NM Hard Rock Casino Albuquerque Presents The Pavilion
4 Tucson, AZ Anselmo Valencia Amphitheatre  (no Ted Nugent)
5 Las Vegas, NV Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
6 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre
8 Denver, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
10 Council Bluffs, IA Mid America Arena
11 Oklahoma City, OK Zoo Amphitheatre
12 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion (no Ted Nugent)
13 Corpus Christi, TX Concrete Street Amphitheatre
17 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
19 Virginia Beach, VA Farm Bureau Live Amphitheatre
20 Alpharetta, GA Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

June:

21 Kansas City, MO Starlight Amphitheatre
22 St. Louis, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
23 Ft. Knox, KY Godman Army Airfield
24 Chicago, IL Charter One Pavilion
26 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
28 Detroit, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
29 Scranton, PA Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain
30 Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Center

July:

1 Atlantic City, NJ Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa Event Ctr
3 Verona, NY Turning Stone Resort Casino
5 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
6 Big Flats, NY Summer Stage
7 Gilford, NY Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion