Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Machine Head ‘s Robb Flynn has gotten a taste of playing acoustic over the last couple of months and he’s anxious to work in a few more performances. As such, the singer-guitarist has booked four acoustic performances this coming week in California. Flynn recently broke out the acoustic guitar for his collaborative performance of the Black Sabbath classic ‘Die Young’ at the Mitch Lucker Memorial Concert . The vocalist joined members of Suicide Silence in saluting their late vocalist by singing the track. He stated, “I was surprisingly nervous, maybe because it was the first time playing it live, maybe not being able to rely on my usual bravado/attitude/’roar’ was a bit daunting. It was three acoustics and a vocal, naked and all about the passion.” Emboldened by the experience, Flynn agreed to perform acoustically again at the recent Tony La Russa Animal Rescue Foundation benefit . This time he tried out a pair of tracks — the aforementioned ‘Die Young’ and a reworked acoustic version of ‘Darkness Within.” The vocalist stated of the experience, “‘Die Young’ went down good. I sang the end a lot better than at the Mitch [Lucker] benefit, and then came time for the debut of the acoustic version of ‘Darkness [Within],’ just me and an acoustic, no sing-alongs, no band to kick in the heavy — a new version I had never played live. It worked, it totally worked. I nailed most of it, was a little flat in some parts at the very end, but overall it felt good and I was proud of myself for taking up the challenge.” Feeling good about his recent acoustic attempts, the Machine Head leader will now play full acoustic sets for the four newly-announced shows. The set list is expected to include a mixture of cover songs and reworked Machine Head favorites. All the shows are in the southern California vicinity, coinciding with the various Machine Head members’ upcoming appearances at the NAMM convention . Flynn, in particular, will be playing an acoustic performance at Epiphone Booth Friday (Jan. 25) at 4PM PT, and he’ll join Phil Demmel in a signing session at the EMG Booth at 11AM PT Saturday (Jan. 26) Robb Flynn Acoustic Shows: 1/21 — Hollywood, Calif. — On the Rox 1/23 — Riverside, Calif. — Mission Tobacco Lounge 1/24 — San Diego, Calif. — Brick by Brick 1/26 — Fullerton, Calif. — Slidebar Rock-N-Roll Kitchen [button href=”http://loudwire.com/machine-head-robb-flynn-hernia-surgery-new-live-album-2013-plans/” title=”Next: Robb Flynn Discusses Hernia Surgery + 2013 Plans” align=”center”]
Cindy Ord, Getty Images Soundgarden ‘s reunion continues to be a fruitful one, with the band finally offering their first new music in 16 years with the ‘ King Animal ‘ album. And while there are some that may question their motives for getting back together, guitarist Kim Thayil says it was truly a quite organic happening. Thayil told The Phoenix that the band re-opened discussions over the lack of direction where their catalog was concerned, with the group not necessarily having any web presence for the better part of a decade. After getting past the business, the band members then discussed the idea to play and record again. There were some in the media (as well as one of their peers, Billy Corgan ) who argued that their initial return was a “ cash grab ,” which Thayil debates. The guitarist says, “How is it a cash grab? Since when is there money in making records anymore [laughs]? I mean, playing Lollapalooza was a one-day payday, but … and by the way, since when do we need money? We’re not like the Afghan Whigs or Pavement. We had a fairly successful career. Matt Cameron played in Pearl Jam for God’s sake! What the hell does he need to spend another, you know, 20 hours a week dedicated to writing and rehearsing Soundgarden songs and tending to Soundgarden’s business? He’s doing just fine thank you.” Thayil credits Matt Cameron for starting the creative process with tracks he wanted the band to check out that didn’t quite fit Pearl Jam. He adds, “I think for Matt it’s really just a labor of love and it’s a great creative outlet for him. He wanted to see Ben [Shepherd] and I playing again and Chris [Cornell] writing new Soundgarden songs. I don’t think Chris needs the money. It seems like he did pretty well with Audioslave and his solo career.” In related news, Soundgarden has returned to the road to support the ‘King Animal’ album. As part of the trek, fans now have a chance to purchase special meet-and-greet packages to hang out with Chris Cornell at their tour stops. A pair of tickets are being auctioned off for each date with the proceeds going to the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation, which was recently launched with the goal of protecting vulnerable children. The organization tackles such issues as homelessness, poverty, neglect and abuse. To get your tickets, meet Chris Cornell and support the foundation, visit the Luminary Lane website here . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/soundgarden-2013-must-see-rock-concerts/” title=”Next: Soundgarden – 2013 Must-See Rock Concerts” align=”center”]
Jason Merritt, Getty Images Dave Grohl ‘s ‘Sound City’ documentary has enjoyed its first film festival screening and the singer topped it off with a concert that Sundance Film Festival goers will be buzzing about for years to come. Rolling Stone reports that Grohl’s heavily hyped Sound City Players show clocked in at over three hours, with 17 musicians taking turns on the stage enjoying their time with the Park City, Utah crowd. Grohl broke down the evening into mini-sets, with his Foo Fighters bandmates serving as the de facto house band for a majority of the night. Grohl also had a chance to pay homage to some of his collaborators, discussing the first time he heard Fear’s Lee Ving and knowing that he wanted to be a musician or talking about jamming to Cheap Trick ‘s ‘Surrender’ as a drunk sixteen-year-old. The evening also featured extended sets with Rick Springfield, Stevie Nicks and John Fogerty , while Slipknot ‘s Corey Taylor joined Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen for some of the guitarist’s tracks. In addition, Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk, Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic , Queens of the Stone Age ‘s Alain Johannes and Masters of Reality’s Chris Goss shuffled in and out during the proceedings. Speaking at the film’s premiere about the ‘Sound City’ documentary, Grohl told the audience, “I consider this to be the most important thing I’ve ever done, artistically, of all the albums I’ve made, of all the bands I’ve had the pleasure of being in. I really feel like the ‘Sound City’ movie, its intention is to inspire the next generation of kids to fall in love with music as much as I did.” As to whether or not directing is an experience he would like to repeat, the musician coyly responded, “I started the Foo Fighters as a hobby, and that was 20 years ago.” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/dave-grohl-sound-city-players-perform-after-los-angeles-film-premiere/” title=”Next: Dave Grohl to Bring Sound City Players to Los Angeles Premiere” align=”center”]
Ethan Miller, Getty Images The year 2013 is shaping up to be a mammoth one for rock and metal concerts. Already, there is an incredible list of talented bands set to deliver blistering sets of hard-rocking music this year. To prepare you for the pits, we’ve put together comprehensive lists of 2013 Must-See Rock + Metal Concerts. Rock concerts act as the brightest highlights of any year for any music fan. We’ll be attending our fair share of shows throughout 2013, and as every one of these must-see tours are announced, we will add them to our rock and metal lists to keep you up-to-date with the latest and greatest happenings in concert news. Check out all of these upcoming rock and metal concerts by clicking the buttons below. See you in the pit! [button href=”http://loudwire.com/alice-in-chains-2013-must-see-rock-concerts/” title=”View the Must-See Rock Concerts of 2013″ align=”center”] ? [button href=”http://loudwire.com/new-england-metal-hardcore-festival-2013-must-see-metal-concerts/” title=”View the Must-See Metal Concerts of 2013″ align=”center”]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Underoath performed their second show at Irving Plaza this week and their final date ever in New York City Thursday night (Jan. 17) as part of their farewell tour. The show also featured a strong support lineup, with engaging sets from mewithoutYou, As Cities Burn and Letlive . The evening began with openers Letlive, who will be headlining shows of their own soon enough. With the band’s powerful songs and undeniable stage presence, Letlive performed as if it were their last show in New York City (thankfully it’s not). Frontman Jason Aalon Butler dove into the crowd numerous times and even made his way onto the balcony where he was holding on for dear life while belting out lyrics. As Cities Burn followed with a high energy performance as they got fans singing and audience members crowd surfing. The pace slowed down when mewithoutYou took the stage. The Philadelphia-based outfit brought their indie and experimental sound to the line-up and vocalist Aaron Weiss had the grace of a ballerina onstage whether he was singing, hopping, playing accordion or the tambourine. As “Underoath” chants began to increase in volume, the band embraced the warm welcome the New York City crowed provided. They kicked off their set with three strong tracks — ‘Breathing in a New Mentality,’ ‘It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door’ and ‘In Division.’ Diehard fans also sang along to favorites such as ‘In Regards to Myself,’ ‘Paper Lung,’ ‘Reinventing Your Exit’ and numerous others. Even though frontman Spencer Chamberlain stated that he was feeling under the weather, he and the rest of the band gave a stellar performance that their New York fans won’t soon forget. Underoath rounded out the set with ’Casting Such a Thin Shadow,’ ‘A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White’ and ‘Writing on the Walls.’ For a full list of remaining dates to Underoath’s Farewell tour, click here . Check out Photos of Underoath, mewithoutYou, As Cities Burn and Letlive Performing in NYC: Underoath: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire mewithoutYou: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire As Cities Burn: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Letlive: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire [button href=”http://loudwire.com/underoath-to-break-up-following-farewell-tour-and-career-spanning-compilation/” title=”Next: Underoath Announce Split + Career-Spanning Compilation” align=”center”]
Epitaph Who: Every Time I Die , The Acacia Strain , Vanna, Hundreth + No Bragging Rights What: North American Tour When: Feb. 6-March. 16, 2013 Why: While Every Time I Die continue to create fresh and spastic new material, the Acacia Strain keep pumping out highly celebrated core. Along with these two bands, the tour will offer support from Vanna, Hundreth and No Bragging Rights. Best of luck trying not to get kicked in the head if you dare to enter this pit. Tickets: Purchase Here [button href=”http://loudwire.com/coheed-cambria-between-the-buried-and-me-russian-circles-2013-must-see-metal-concerts” title=”Next 2013 Tour” align=”center”] ? ? Every Time I Die, The Acacia Strain, Vanna, Hundreth + No Bragging Rights Tour Dates: 2/06 – Chicago, Ill. @ Bottom Lounge 2/07 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ The Rave 2/08 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ Mill City Nights 2/09 – Lawrence, Kan. @ The Granada 2/10 – Denver, Colo. @ Summit Music Hall 2/12 – Boise, Idaho @ The Venue 2/13 – Seattle, Wash. @ El Corazon 2/14 – Portland, Ore. @ Branx 2/15 – Oakland, Calif. @ Oakland Metro Operahouse 2/16 – Pomona, Calif. @ The Glass House 2/17 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Roxy 2/18 – Mesa, Ariz. @ Nile Theater 2/19 – El Paso, Texas @ Tricky Falls 2/20 – Austin, Texas @ Red 7 2/22 – Houston, Texas @ Warehouse Live 2/23 – Metairie, La. @ The Cypress 2/24 – Atlanta, Ga. @ the Masquerade 2/25 – Tampa, Fla. @ The Orpheum 2/26 – Miami, Fla. @ Grand Central 2/27 – Jacksonville, Fla. @ Firebird Live 2/28 – Charlotte, N.C. @ Amos’ Southend 3/01 – Washington, D.C. @ Rock N Roll Hotel 3/02 – Cleveland, Ohio @ Peabody’s 3/03 – Detroit, Mich. @ Magic Stick 3/05 – London, Ontario @ Rum Runners 3/06 – Toronto, Ontario @ The Opera House 3/07 – Ottawa, Ontario @ Ritual Nightclub 3/08 – Montreal, Quebec @ Club Soda 3/09 – Quebec City, Quebec @ L’Union Commerciale 3/10 – New Haven, Conn. @ Toad’s Place 3/11 – Albany, N.Y. @ Upstate Concert Hall 3/12 – Syracuse, N.Y. @ The Lost Horizon 3/13 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ Union Transfer 3/14 – New York, N.Y. @ Irving Plaza 3/15 – Boston, Mass. @ Royale 3/16 – Allentown, Pa. @ Crocodile Rock
Facebook: Roy Mayorga (Stone Sour) Stone Sour are enjoying some of their greatest success to date with the two-part album ‘House of Gold & Bones,’ and drummer Roy Mayorga is very happy to be part of it. Back in 2011, Mayorga suffered a stroke and there was concern about whether or not he would be able to continue, but the musician is happy to report he’s recovered. Mayorga tells the Lehigh Valley Morning Call that doctors revealed that his years of violent head-banging led to a dissected artery that caused the stroke. The drummer added that there was “a good seven, eight months” where he was not playing music, and that he was having trouble moving his left side. But rather than replace him, the group called off their tour and waited a year while he recovered. Speaking about his bandmates, Mayorga stated, “That’s incredible. I mean, that’s a lot to be said for them. Those guys are truly my brothers, for them to do something like that … Most bands would have gotten somebody else to play drums, but they didn’t.” Over time, the improvement began. “I got off the meds and got the confidence again to play drums and got behind the kit and then started recording this new album,” explained Mayorga. “Almost two years later, I’m pretty much back to normal, and it’s a miracle, man, I gotta say. I thank God and the universe and lucky stars I’m still here today. I’m just glad that’s over with and I’m able to still walk and play drums and be here with my family.” As for the new record, the drummer says this was the most collaborative effort the band has enjoyed to date. “We all wrote everything together and we all brought songs individually to the table, but once we got them all, we just took them apart and put them back together again and each and every one of us put our own stamp on it,” explained Mayorga. The first part of the ‘ House of Gold & Bones ‘ album is out now, with the latter half expected in April . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/stone-sour-rock-band-of-the-year-2012-loudwire-music-awards/” title=”Next: Stone Sour Win 2012 Loudwire Music Awards Rock Band of the Year” align=”center”]