PearlJam.com Pearl Jam are one of the leaders when it comes to providing their fans with bootleg performances of their shows, but they intend on making the turnaround a little quicker and offering some special deals in the future. As such, they’ve launched what they’re calling the “Instant Classic” bootleg series. In late September, the group played one of their few shows this year in Missoula, Mont. as a show of support for Montana Senator Jon Tester’s re-election campaign. The Adams Center performance was the first time in seven years the group had played in Missoula, and it turned out to be such a high energy show that the band declared it “an instant classic.” As a result, they put a rush on making the performance available to their fans for a limited time at a special price. The period is currently underway and continues through Tuesday (Nov. 13) with fans being able to purchase the bootleg in MP3 format for $4.99. Most bootlegs retail for $9.99 at the group’s website . During this sale period, proceeds will be donated to the Poverello Center in Missoula. After Nov. 13, all formats (MP3, FLAC, FLAC-HD, and CD) of the show performance will be available at regular prices. Visit www.pearljam.com/goods to place your order. Pearl Jam are in the process of working on new music, though bassist Jeff Ament recently admitted that they are taking it at their own pace and that he doesn’t expect they’ll continue work on the disc until sometime early next year. He added that even though there are seven or eight songs recorded, “It’s still sort of a blank slate and that’s exciting.” No timetable has been set for delivery of the next album. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-grunge-bands/” title=”Next: 10 Best Grunge Bands” align=”center”]
Stephen Dunn, Getty Images There’s no doubt that Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea is definitely an avid basketball fan, and that his loyalties lie with his Los Angeles home teams. On Friday night, he won over numerous UCLA fans while donning a homemade t-shirt in support of suspended basketball star Shabazz Muhammad as he performed the national anthem. Donning a baby blue t-shirt that read “Free Shabazz Muhammad” written in black marker, the musician was greeted with a warm reception. Muhammad, one of the top ranked freshmen in the nation, was declared “indefinitely ineligible” by the NCAA just prior to the team’s first game as a result of alleged extra benefits received during his recruitment. Flea tweeted , “Free Shabazz Muhammad. NCAA is out of control. This is absurd.” According to Yahoo Sports , Flea’s shirt mirrored the thoughts of some of the team’s fans, as several students were noticed donning “Free Shabazz” shirts with the player’s likeness on the front. The shirt likely eased a few tensions for the bassist as well, as he took classes at UCLA’s crosstown rival USC a few years ago. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/red-hot-chili-peppers-flea-back-to-the-future-cameo/” title=”Next: Flea – Musician Movie Cameos” align=”center”]
YouTube Ozzy Osbourne ‘s ‘Crazy Train’ has become one of the great songs in metal history and as such, it’s also been one of the most covered tracks in the genre. The latest artist to take a stab at the song is Broadway veteran Rena Strober, who along with acclaimed cellist Tina Guo, serve up a more clean-cut version of the classic song. Strober and Guo both make appearances in the new video, which has been dubbed ‘Crazy Train: The Wizard of Ozzy.’ While the wholesome look of Strober in the clip may not be exactly what some would expect to match the song’s lyrical content, the singer no less delivers the track with a full voice and a hint of “crazy” in her eyes and smile. Meanwhile, Guo is ferociously awesome on the standup electric bass and the fury at which she’s attacking the instrument is embellished a bit by the shaky camera movements. Strober has enjoyed a solid run on the stage, appearing the Broadway version of ‘Les Miserables,’ staging her one-woman show ‘Spaghetti & Matzo Balls,’ and touring the country in a production of ‘Fiddler on the Roof.’ She’s also released her own album called ‘Finding Home.’ Guo has managed to meld both classical playing and a rock/metal fusion into her cello style. She’s worked primarily creating music for motion pictures, video games and television scores. Most recently, Guo has been the featured soloist on the electric cello for Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson ‘The Immortal’ World Tour. She was also featured as part of the Foo Fighters lineup for the Grammy Awards. As for Osbourne, he’s enjoyed a career as both a solo artist and member of Black Sabbath . He also was recently named President of Heavy Metal in a Loudwire election. Watch Rena Strober and Tina Guo’s Video for ‘Crazy Train’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/ozzy-osbourne-little-nicky-cameo/” title=”Next: Ozzy Osbourne – Musician Movie Cameos” align=”center”]
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Kid Rock ‘s love affair with Detroit will continue this Thanksgiving as the vocalist has signed on to perform at the Lions halftime show to kick off the United Way holiday campaign. The timing is perfect for Rock, whose ‘ Rebel Soul ‘ album will have arrived in stores earlier in the week. Billboard reports that Rock will perform his new song ‘Detroit, Michigan’ at halftime of the Lions game against the Houston Texans. Rock also performed at the halftime event of the 2010 Thanksgiving Day game, rolling out his track ‘Born Free’ for the national audience. Rock says, “It’s great because I’m home for Thanksgiving, number one, and it’s a huge television audience. I get to be in front of the hometown fans and it’s great to have my family down there and then go eat some turkey and watch the next football game. It’s such a tradition.” The singer recalls going with his father and brother every year to catch the Lions Thanksgiving Day game, and he adds, “To be part of it now, musically, is great — especially when you’ve got a record coming out. It’s a win-win.” Rock’s charitable spirit isn’t just limited to the United Way campaign. As in recent years, Rock is giving back to the Detroit community by offering $30 Meijer gift cards to 1200 families in need. The musician is teaming with local radio stations to give away the gift cards. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/kid-rock-new-single-lets-ride/” title=”Next: Listen to Kid Rock’s Single ‘Let’s Ride'” align=”center”]
YouTube Against Me! singer Laura Jane Grace will have reconstructive dental surgery after a crowd surfing audience member managed to accidentally knock the microphone stand into her mouth during a show, resulting in the early conclusion of the performance. The band was playing in Wilmington, N.C., on Wednesday night (Nov. 7) when it’s alleged that an audience member was pushed toward the stage into the stand that managed to shatter Grace’s teeth and led to an angry equipment throw down from the singer. Punk News reports here was no video of the incident, but fans began making online comments about what happened. One fan, Matt H., posted that he apologized for the “douchebags that stormed the stage and stopped the show,” and begged the vocalist not to think any less of the rest of the crowd because of what happened at the show. Grace offered her comments on the situation in a series of tweets that read: For those asking, last night my mic was kicked into my face and it shattered a couple of teeth. It was an accident, but still really hurt… — Laura Jane Grace (@LauraJaneGrace) November 8, 2012 I’m also pretty upset about the idea reconstructive dental surgery. — Laura Jane Grace (@LauraJaneGrace) November 8, 2012 I’m gonna start a kickstarter to get a diamond grill like Kanye — Laura Jane Grace (@LauraJaneGrace) November 8, 2012 Against Me! have been working on a new album called ‘Transgender Dysphoria Blues,’ that will reportedly touch on Laura Jane Grace’s transformation over the past year. Grace, formery Tom Gabel, came out as transgender in May. Bassist Andrew Seward told MTV Hive of the album, “It just sounds f—ing killer. I don’t know if ‘brutal’ is the right word, but it sounds really f—ing tough, and good. Laura is recording the whole thing herself — engineering, producing, build the studio — full on everything.” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/against-me-singer-laura-jane-grace-discusses-fan-reaction-to-transgender-transformation/” title=”Next: Laura Jane Grace Reveals Fan Reaction to Transgender Transformation” align=”center”]
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com 30 Seconds to Mars were a surprise name when the lineup for next summer’s Download Festival was revealed, which suggests that the group who played an ungodly amount of shows for their ‘This Is War’ album have returned to work on their next release. Singer Jared Leto told BBC’s Radio 1 that the group got past the fragile nature of their union as they started to burnout toward the end of the last album’s tour support and he feels that are now back on the path to something great. The vocalist explained, “It’s stronger, better and more evolved. It’s a complete transformation for us.” As for that new record, which they’ve managed to keep somewhat quiet, the vocalist adds, “I really think that this could be the best thing that we’ve ever done.” The group has spent time in Asia, Europe and America recording tracks for the forthcoming release. Leto, who also has a solid acting career, has taken advantage of his time off the road to work in another movie. According to the Hollywood Reporter , the actor will portray a “flamboyant cross-dresser with HIV” who helps a Texas electrician (Matthew McConaughey) smuggle alternative drugs into America to help other AIDS patients in ‘The Dallas Buyer’s Club.’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/30-seconds-to-mars-the-kill-top-21st-century-hard-rock-songs/” title=”Next: 30 Seconds to Mars – Top 21st Century Hard Rock Songs” align=”center”]
New Ocean Media Evans Blue are enjoying a successful run with their ‘ Graveyard of Empires ‘ album, and are digging deeper into the disc with the latest single ‘Beyond the Stars.’ The song just hit the airwaves, and the band is teaming with Loudwire to bring you the exclusive preview of the lyric video for the track. The lyric video itself is set against the backdrop of the sun emerging from behind a planet while the lyrics to the track grace the screen. The song starts with some in-your-face guitar playing courtesy of Vlad Tanaskovic and Parker Lauzon, while singer Dan Chandler delivers the angst-ridden lyrics, “ Help me surrender my control / searching for the death of my own soul / I bleed but far beneath / my cover keeps the red from leaking .” The weighty lyrical opening leads up to the powerful chorus: “ Keep your silence or reach for life beyond the stars / save your mercy for someone who needs it more / I’m the guilty / All the feelings come crashing down on me / I’m taking you with me. ” The song follows ‘ This Time It’s Different ‘ and ‘ Halo ‘ as singles off the album. The group just completed the second leg of their ‘Graveyard of Empires’ 2012 tour, venturing up and down the East Coast, with a 2013 West Coast trek currently being mapped out. ‘Beyond the Stars’ is currently available on iTunes , as is the ‘Graveyard of Empires’ album . Watch Evans Blue’s ‘Beyond the Stars’ Lyric Video [button href=”http://loudwire.com/evans-blue-bring-graveyard-of-empires-to-the-empire-state/” title=”Next: Check Out an Evans Blue Concert Review + Photo Gallery ” align=”center”]