The Allman Brothers Band continue to tear it up during this year’s Beacon Theater run in New York City in celebration of founder Duane Allman and the band’s 40th anniversary, and the list of special guests keeps getting bigger and bigger. Night No. 12 was arguably the coolest show yet, with ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons taking the stage at the start of the Brother’s second set to a rousing welcome from the sold-out crowd. The Brothers themselves welcomed Gibbons in their own special way, making him feel right at home by donning fake beards. Together, they busted out a blistering version of ZZ Top’s “Jesus Just Left Chicago,” before powering through Allman standards’ “Stormy Monday” and “Statesboro Blues.” Blues Traveler’s John Popper and slide guitarist extraordinaire Sonny Landreth also joined the Allman party last night, on what was the beginning of the band’s final week of shows for this year’s Beacon run. And no word yet if founding guitarist Dickey Betts will make an appearance this year. The band had extended an invitation to Betts, but no one in the band has confirmed or denied if Betts had indeed accepted, or even responded, to the invite. Check out the video from last night below.
Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted will apparently join his former bandmates when the heavy metal legends are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 4 in Cleveland. According to a report on Blabbermouth, the band extended an invitation to Newsted, and he has accepted. The motive behind the gesture was apparently to avoid a repeat of the obnoxious incident that took place during the 2006 ceremony, when Blondie was inducted and former Blondie members Frank Infante and Nigel Harrison were denied the opportunity to play with the band by its leader Deborah Harry. “There was so many politics and so much drama that, you know, we collectively said to each other, ‘We don’t want any of that,’ because it kind of, it puts a really bad, sour note on the whole celebration itself. Jason Newsted will be there, and he will be playing with us at one point,” Hammett said. The entire ceremony can be seen live on Fuse on April 4.
Green Day’s 21st Century Breakdown, the band’s long awaited – and much anticipated – follow-up to 2004’s Grammy-winning American Idiot, will finally hit the streets on May 15. The first single from the 16-track album – “Know Your Enemy” – will be available digitally next month. As for what to expect, frontman Billy Armstrong told Rolling Stone, “American Idiot marked a really high bar for us. It’s easy to go, ‘OK, we can just write a collection of songs.’ But there was something about trying to keep going for it.” The album is broken up into three separate acts – Heroes and Cons, Charlatans and Saints, and Horseshoes and Handgrenades – and Armstrong said the band will performing the album in its entirety during a world tour slated to begin in July. Keep your eyes peeled to Gibson.com for Green Day tour updates as soon as they’re available.
The 15th installment of the Vans Warped Tour is now set for 2009, with this year’s lineup paying homage to all past, present and future punkers. If you want old, there’s Fishbone, Flipper and the Dickies. If you want new, there’s Black Tide, Gallows, Ivy League and Senses Fail. If you fall somewhere in between, there’s something for you too, like Less Than Jake, Anti-Flag and Bouncing Souls. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. In all, some 80-plus bands will perform throughout the 46-date outing, which opens June 26 in Pomona, Calif., and winds its way through the U.S. until the finale, currently set for Aug. 23 at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles. Unlike year’s past, the ’09 Vans Warped Tour will feature only one stage, and each band’s performance will be limited to a mere 40 minutes. Tickets are expected to go onsale April 1 via the tour’s Web site, but the regular onsale date is supposed to be April 18. For all the skinny on who’s playing and where it’s all headed, click here.
Billy Gibbons with the Allman Brothers Band