Classic Rock Veterans Deep Purple And Yes Coming To Town
Deep Purple is on their 1 More Time tour and celebrating 50 years of “Smoke on the Water.” They will be rocking venues this summer with a lineup of unforgettable hits taken from their catalog of rock, spanning half a century. Joining Deep Purple And YES, making this double bill of rock a can’t-miss show this Summer.
The Question Is When Are They Stopping Here To Play?
Mark your calendars for Aug. 22, Sterling Heights, MI, at Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill. This year, Freedom Hill has quite a big lineup of acts coming for the 2024 season. Check out the full concert schedule by clicking this link.
What Has The Band ” YES ” Been Up To?
Hot on the heels of their hugely successful ‘Classic Tales Of Yes’ American Tour, YES, is poised to hit the road with Deep Purple this Summer. Yes, meanwhile, they will play a catalog of favorite material through their last album, 2023’s Mirror to the Sky. The prog legends also release an anniversary box set of their 1994 album Talk.
Who’s In The Band YES Now?
Steve Howe (guitars, vocals), Geoff Downes (keyboards), Jon Davison (vocals, acoustic guitar), Billy Sherwood (bass guitar, vocals), and Jay Schellen (drums)
Where Is Jon Anderson?
In an article on ultimateclassicrock.com, Jon Anderson said he was open to a reunion with his former Yes bandmates Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman. The singer said he still considers himself a part of his old band, even though he left Yes in 2008. The rest of the band, YES, refuses to reunite with Anderson, and he’s ok with that.
The One More Time Tour
Deep Purple’s One More Time tour will start in August, along with prog legends Yes. The tour starts at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL, on August 14 and wraps up on September 8 at The Pavilion At Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA. Not disappointing the Motor City. The show will stop here on Aug. 22 – Sterling Heights, MI @ Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill.
Aug 14: Hollywood Hard Rock Live, FL
Aug 15: Tampa Seminole Hard Rock Event Center, FL
Aug 17: The Woodlands The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, TX
Aug 18: Durant Choctaw Casino Grand Theatre, OK
Aug 19: Forth Worth Dickies Arena, TX
Aug 21: Cincinnati PNC Pavilion At Riverbend Music Center, OH
Aug 22: Sterling Heights Amphitheatre At Freedom Hill, MI
Aug 23: Tinley Park Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre, IL
Aug 25: Toronto Budweiser Stage, ON
Aug 27: Montreal Bell Centre, QC
Aug 28: Gilford Banknh Pavilion, NH
Aug 30: Camden Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, NJ
Aug 31: Holmdel PNC Bank Arts Center, NJ
Sep 01: Wantagh Northwell Health At Jones Beach Theater, NY
Sep 03: Bridgeport Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater, CT
Sep 04: Saratoga Springs Broadview Stage At Spac, NY
Sep 06: Bethel Bethel Woods Center For The Arts, NY
Sep 07: Bristow Jiffy Lube Live, VA
Sep 08: Scranton The Pavilion At Montage Mountain, PA
Guitars with Names: 5 Every Rock Fan Should Know
Frankenstein (Eddie Van Halen)
Before the release of Mammoth WVH’s self-titled debut, Wolfgang shared a funny story about the iconic Frankenstein, which he actually played on Mammoth WVH.
In a May 2021 interview with Total Guitar, Wolfgang recalled a time when Frankenstein was taken out of its safe. He said his Dad picked up the guitar, played it a bit, said it “feels about the same” and then just tossed the historic guitar on a nearby couch.
“Everyone just gasped when he did that, ” said Wolfgang. “To Dad, it’s just a little piece of junk that he built himself, but to us, it’s the most famous thing in the world.”
An Eddie Van Halen guitar on display as part of Julian Auctions Presents Icons And Idols: Rock ‘N’ Roll, Hollywood and Sports at Julien’s Auctions on November 23, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Blackie (Eric Clapton)
Blackie is the beloved 1956 Fender Stratocaster that belonged to Eric Clapton. According to Fender, Clapton acquired Blackie in 1970. He purchased the guitar from a shop in Nashville. In fact, he came across a rack of six 1950s-era Stratocasters. Clapton recalled in 2004’s The Stratocaster Chronicles, “They were so out of fashion you could pick up a perfectly genuine Strat for two hundred or three hundred dollars—even less! So I bought all of them.”
In 2004, Blackie went up for auction at Christie’s. It was estimated to sell for between $100,000-$150,000. The final selling price was $959,500.
Eric Clapton performs at The Forum on September 18, 2017 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Micawber (Keith Richards)
Micawber is a 1953 Fender Telecaster that was gifted to Keith Richards by Eric Clapton. According to Fender, Clapton gave Richards this classic guitar for his 27th birthday. Ever since, it’s been used a many iconic recordings, from “Start Me Up” to “Brown Sugar.” To this day, Micawber is part of Richards’ rotation of guitars when the Rolling Stones are on tour.
Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones performs on the Pyramid Stage during day 3 of the 2013 Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm on June 29, 2013 in Glastonbury, England. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images)
