NIRVANA, VAN HALEN, AEROSMITH: An Auction of Icons

Instruments used by Nirvana, Eddie Van Halen and Aerosmith are among the top items going up for bids at Julien's Auctions annual Music Icons sale, May 30th and 31st in New York City.

A Kurt Cobain left-handed 1989 Takamine acoustic-electric rosewood guitar played during Nirvana’s 1991 Hilversum Sessions in Holland is expected to sell for between $300,000 and $500,000. And a 1989 Warwick Dolphin Pro I used by Krist Novoselic during the same session is expected to fetch from $100,000 to $200,000.

Eddie Van Halen's stage-played circa 2007 Charvel EVH Art Series – black with red and white stripes – which he played and signed on October 5th, 2007 in Uncasville, Connecticut is estimated to fetch $20,000 to $40,000. A Gibson Les Paul Special DC Tribute in cherry red, signed and stage-played by Joe Perry during Aerosmith’s 50th-anniversary concert in 2022 in Boston is estimated to go for $30,000 to $50,000. Other stage-played instruments up for bids come from Eric Clapton, David Bowie, Johnny Cash, Noel Gallagher, Jack White, Melissa Etheridge, Alex Lifeson, and more. There are also stage costumes from Elton John, Dolly Parton, Jimi Hendrix, Michael Jackson, Taylor Swift and Bob Dylan up for bids.

ALICE IN CHAINS: Ax All Dates Due to Kinney's Health

Alice in Chains canceled all their headline shows and festival appearances this month due to drummer Sean Kinney's unspecified health issue. The band posted a statement late Friday that said, "After careful consideration and following the advice of medical professionals we have made the decision to cancel our upcoming festival performances and the Alice in Chains headline shows. While we were all eager to return to the stage, Sean's health is our top priority at this moment. Although the issue requires immediate attention, his long-term prognosis in positive." The band canceled their show Thursday in Uncasville, Connecticut just before it was slated to start because KInney had a "non-life-threatening medical emergency."

Kinney is 58.

PEARL JAM, PETER FRAMPTON: A Nashville "Black" Jam

Pearl Jam were joined by a very special guest during their show in Nashville on Thursday night -- Peter Frampton. He joined them for "Black" with a little bit of "Do You Feel Like We Do" tagged on at the end. You can watch the performance on YouTube. When Eddie Vedder

introduced Frampton, he mentioned that Mike McCready and Matt Cameron had played with Peter on his 2006 Grammy-winning album Fingerprints. Vedder then said, "This is first time we've gotten to do this. And who knows how long we'll keep touring, [so] this might be the only time." Vedder also told the audience, "Something that most people do not know -- this song was named after the color of his famous Les Paul."

And on Friday, Frampton posted on Instagram a video and photo of his performance, saying, "What an honor and pleasure sharing the stage with Pearl Jam... Eddie’s introduction bringing me out was extremely moving. Thank you, Eddie, Mike, Matt, Jeff, Stone, Josh, Boom, the entire crew and all the amazing Nashville fans!" Frampton, who lives in Nashville, is recording a new album at his studio there.

Pearl Jam Releases Songs Inspired By ‘The Last of Us’

Pearl Jam is set to release a limited edition four-track vinyl inspired by the TV show 'The Last Of Us'. The vinyl will feature studio versions of "Future Days" and "All Or None", as well as live performances of these songs. The band's music has been subtly referenced in the show, with a line from "Future Days" appearing in season 2, episode 5. The limited edition vinyl is available exclusively through the Pearl Jam website for registered members of The Ten Club.

BONO: Saturday Birthday Saturday

Bono celebrated his 65th birthday over the weekend, on Saturday. Born Paul David Hewson in Dublin on May 10th, 1960, he was given the nickname Bono during his teenage years. First it was "Bono Vox of O'Connell Street," before being shortened. "Bono Vox" is adapted from

Bonavox, a Latin phrase that translates to "good voice." And Bono has used his unique voice not only to propel U2 to international superstardom, but also to help those less fortunate.

Among the issues he's fought are AIDS and hunger. “If celebrity has anything to offer, it’s that you can use your celebrity to shine a light on issues and put a spotlight on people whose voices are not heard. So I just live a life that I think is the right life for our family. We try and deal privately with some redistribution of that wealth, but the most important thing that I can do is try to fight the causes of poverty - and they're structural. They're not simple." Bono is the second member of U2 to turn 65. Bassist Adam Clayton blew out his 65 candles in March. The Edge and Larry Mullen will join them next year.

PINK FLOYD: Lucky Seven

Pink Floyd's latest album, Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII (1972), has debuted at number-one on the U.K. Albums Chart, making it their seventh chart-topper in their homeland. The previous six are Atom Heart Mother (1970), Wish You Were Here (1975), The Final Cut

(1983), The Division Bell (1994), Pulse (Live) (1995), and The Endless River (2014). Their most successful album, 1973's The Dark Side of the Moon, peaked at number-two. Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII, the soundtrack to their 1972 film, also tops the Official Vinyl Albums Chart, the most popular record on wax this week. The album is also number-one in Italy, Germany and Belgium.

ERIC CLAPTON: Plugged Back In

Eric Clapton reissued his best-selling album Friday. Unplugged: The Enhanced Edition adds three songs not included on the 1992 album, plus audio of Clapton speaking about the inspiration for performing each song during the show, which was taped on January 16th, 1992 in Windsor, England. The set is available on two CDs, three LPs and a digital-only Dolby Atmos mix. Unplugged: The Enhanced Edition is the companion to Eric Clapton Unplugged … Over 30 Years Later, which is streaming on Paramount+. Unplugged was nominated in nine categories at the 1993 Grammy Awards, winning six:

·Album of the Year - Unplugged

·Song of the Year - "Tears in Heaven"

·Record of the Year - "Tears in Heaven"

·Best Rock Song - "Layla

·Best Male Pop Vocal Performance - Unplugged

·Best Male Rock Vocal Performance – Unplugged

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Party Like it's 1999

Bruce Springsteen's archival concert release for May takes us back to October 28th, 1999 at the Oakland Arena in Oakland, California for the 78th show of his reunion tour with The E Street Band. This collection contains 24 songs including the first and only band performance of "Sinaloa Cowboys" off of his 1995 album The Ghost of Tom Joad, an appearance by Southside Johnny on "Hungry Heart," and a rare performance of "Blinded by the Light" to close out the show. You can stream or buy the album at Nugs.net.

Metallica Sets Off Seismograph At Virginia Show

Metallica played a concert at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia, on Thursday, the home of the Virginia Tech Hokies. Fans went wild, jumping to the band’s hit “Enter Sandman,” which the Hokies have used as their football team’s entrance song since 2000. The crowd’s energy was so strong it set off a nearby seismograph, making it look like a small earthquake, similar to what happens at Hokie games. This was the first time Metallica performed the song in the stadium, and about 60,000 fans made it a big deal.

Foreigner Musical In Development

Foreigner in 2025 seems as active as Foreigner in 1980. With new music, an extensive tour and now the announcement of a hits-based musical, they're working like a much younger band. Foreigner has announced a collaboration with Tilles Center For The Performing Arts and Long Island University’s Post Theatre Company to develop and stage the world premiere production of "Feels Like The First Time – The Foreigner Musical." The production will feature 14 of Foreigner’s iconic hit songs. This new musical will receive a developmental workshop and staged reading this fall, with the fully-staged world premiere production running April 17–26, 2026 at LIU’s Little Theatre.

2025 Grammy Hall of Fame Gala Performers Announced

The 2025 GRAMMY Hall of Fame gala will take place this Friday May 16th at the Beverly Hilton and feature performances honoring newly inducted recordings. Susanna Hoffs will sing Cat Stevens’ “Wild World,” while Emmylou Harris, Daniel Lanois, and Brian Blade will revisit Harris’ 1995 album “Wrecking Ball.” Other performers include Leslie Odom Jr. covering Luther Vandross, Ledisi performing Clara Ward, and Leslie Grace with Miami Sound Machine’s

“Conga.” Cindy Blackman, Orianthi, and Andy Vargas will perform Santana’s “Smooth,” and Eddie Floyd and Jody Stephens will celebrate Floyd’s “Knock on Wood” and Big Star’s “#1 Record.” John Mellencamp, Conan Gray, and Muni Long will pay tribute to label honoree Republic Records. Jon Batiste will receive the inaugural Ray Charles Architect of Sound Award and perform. The gala raises funds for GRAMMY Museum education programs and features an auction with signed guitars and GRAMMY tickets.

Queen Announce Limited Edition Immersive Dolby Atmos Release Of Debut Album

Queen are set to release a special edition of their self-titleddebut album. In a statement, Brian May said "Queen One" isn't just a remaster, but a "brand new 2024 rebuild" of the "Queen" album. He said each instrument has been revisited to "produce the 'live' ambient sound" the band would've liked to use originally. The new limited edition immersive Dolby Atmos release will be available on Audiophile Blu-ray on June 13th. "Queen One" is available for pre-order on RecordStoreDay.com

Rob Halford "Gutted" Over Missing Black Sabbath's Final Show With Ozzy

With Black Sabbath's upcoming final show with Ozzy Osbourne turning into a star-studded event with many of hard rock's biggest names performing, one notably absent superstar is Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford, and he's not happy about it. Metallica, Slayer, Alice in Chains, Tool, Guns N’ Roses, Anthrax, and many others will be on hand, but Halford will not join them, and he's "gutted" about it. Literally days before the Sabbath event was announced, Halford had agreed to play a huge event with Scorpions in their hometown to help celebrate their 60th anniversary. Even though Sharon Osbourne offered to fly him to Birmingham and back on a private jet, Halford knows Murphy's Law: "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong," and despite desperately wanting to be part of the event, Halford was afraid to commit, even under those circumstances. "Even with a private plane, there’s a word called 'technical,' where something could go wrong, or the weather that time of year could cause problems…" he said.

Daryl Hall Slams Yacht Rock

Daryl Hall is sharing his thoughts on the term "yacht rock."In an appearance on the Broken Record podcast, the singer dismissed the subgenre and called it "joke," adding it's something he doesn't "understand." The phrase "yacht rock" began in 2005 after comedians JD Ryznar, Hunter Stair, and Lane Farnham used it as the basis for their web series. The subgenre gives credit to soft rock from the '70s and '80s.

IN OTHER NEWS

Sammy Hagar broke out three more songs during shows five and six of The Best of All Worlds Tour Stays in Vegas residency at the Dolby Live at Park MGM. On Friday, at show five, he did “Rock Candy” from his days in Montrose. And on Saturday at show six, he did “Eagles Fly” and Chickenfoot’s “Big Foot.” Hagar does the last three shows this week – on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Down the Mine, the original 1983 test episode of the children’s series Thomas & Friends, narrated by Ringo Starr, was recently rediscovered. It’s been posted on YouTube to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the talking tank engine franchise.

A dump truck crashed into the legendary Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood, California on Friday, causing the cancellation of that night’s show. The truck collided with five vehicles and a powerline, knocking out power to the area.

Geddy Lee has narrated a short film as part of the See the Good movement, an anti-hate campaign starring global celebrities who promote tolerance among young Canadians. In the one-minute clip he talks about the accomplishments of Dr. Nikolai Amosov, who invented the artificial heart valve. Geddy explains how it could have saved his father, Morris Weinrib, who died from a faulty heart valve in 1965. You can watch the film on YouTube. Gene Simmons

narrated a See the Good film in February.

Paul Stanley gave a thumb’s up to David Lee Roth’s first show in over five years when he performed at the M3 festival in Columbia, Maryland on May 3rd. He posted on X, “I watched Diamond Dave's return at M3 and LOVED IT! Looks Great. Great staging. Great band. Great vibe. The whole thing was cool. Back-up posse too. Check it all out on YouTube. Welcome Back, Dave!!” It was Roth’s first show since opening for KISS on March 20th, 2020 in Luccock, Texas.

Kevin Cronin will follow up this spring and summer’s Brotherhood of Rock tour with Styx

and Don Felder with six shows in the Southeast from September 12th in North Charleston, South Carolina through the 23rd in Fort Myers, Florida. In between are two stops in Georgia, and one each in Alabama and Florida. The Brotherhood of Rock tour starts on May 28th in Greenville, South Carolina.

Former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett will release The Lamb Stands Up Live at the Royal Albert Hall in multiple configurations on July 11th. The October 2024 show contains tracks off of the 1974 Genesis album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. You can find the title track on YouTube.

Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Drumeo have teamed up for another video. This one is Smith coming up with a drum track for a song by rappers Wu-Tang Clan. Check it out on YouTube.