Tag Archives: pop music

Pearl Jam Goes Springsteen On North Carolina

From the band’s website: It is with deep consideration and much regret that we must cancel the Raleigh show in North Carolina on April 20th. This will be upsetting to those who have tickets and you can be assured that we are equally frustrated by the situation. The HB2 law that was recently passed is a despicable piece of legislation …

Read More »

Rockers Boston Go Springsteen On North Carolina

THREE shows cancelled. From the band’s Facebook page: While the enjoyment of our fans is our central concern, and we have been looking forward to celebrating forty years of history performing for our listeners in North Carolina with spectacular live shows this spring, human rights are more important. It is with deep regret, that I must announce the cancellation of …

Read More »

POSTED: My Fifth Column For Pride Life

Back in February, I launched a twice-monthly column for the website of Britain’s Pride Life magazine, a quarterly LGBT rights and lifestyle magazine. Today’s fifth installment is titled This Week In US Politics: Battle Over LGBT Rights Inflames Nation. Hit the link for my status report on the situation in North Carolina and Mississippi. DISCLOSURE: Pride Life is owned by …

Read More »

CHARLOTTE: Sold-Out Audience Roars In Approval As Duran Duran Slams Anti-LGBT Laws [VIDEO]

Fulfilling their promise, last night Duran Duran interrupted their sold-out concert at Charlotte’s PNC Pavilion to denounce North Carolina’s HB2. Standing before a giant electronic rainbow flag, lead singer Simon Le Bon drew roars from the audience when he expressed support for LGBT rights and then boos when he mentioned that HB2 makes it legal to fire someone for being …

Read More »

MICHIGAN: Bruce Springsteen Warns Detroit Audience That Anti-LGBT Laws May Be Heading Their Way Too

On Thursday night Bruce Springsteen played Detroit, where he warned his audience that anti-LGBT laws are also in the works in Michigan: Just days after he scrapped a show in North Carolina as a protest against a new anti-LGBT state law, which restricts the public bathrooms transgenders can use, The Boss showed he was still upset about the controversy onstage …

Read More »

NORTH CAROLINA: Duran Duran To Promote “Ugly Bigoted HB2” Repeal At Tomorrow’s Charlotte Concert

From Duran Duran’s website: With respect to the current storm which is howling through this State, we considered cancelling our show on Saturday, but decided to go ahead, both for the sake of our fans and to support those in North Carolina who feel as strongly as we do about this issue. We see this as an opportunity to make …

Read More »

NORTH CAROLINA: Mumford & Sons To Donate Tonight’s Charlotte Concert Profits To LGBT Fund

JamBase reports: Tonight, Mumford & Sons will perform before a capacity crowd at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. The band recently announced they will donate all of their profits from the show to a new charitable fund “to support those who have made it their mission to pursue love and justice.” A donation from the fund …

Read More »

Bob Mould – Hold On [VIDEO]

Bears and drag queens take center stage in the new Bob Mould video. Rolling Stone reviews: With Bob Mould embarking on a tour in support of his recently released LP Patch the Sky starting April 20th, the former Hüsker Dü rocker has unveiled the new video for his latest single “Hold On.” The video finds a downhearted Mould wandering around …

Read More »

ABC – Viva Love [AUDIO]

Vintage Vinyl reports: ABC have recorded a sequel to their classic The Lexicon of Love after 34 years. For the new album Fry brought back composer Anne Dudley, who arranged the strings on the original Lexicon. Dudley has co-written two new songs, The Love Inside The Love and Brighter Than The Sun. Also contributing to the 10 new songs are …

Read More »

JMG EXCLUSIVE: Cyndi Lauper To Donate All Profits From Raleigh Concert To Equality North Carolina

“Sadly, once again, the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people have been trampled on with the recent passage of HB2 in North Carolina. Me and my team at the True Colors Fund have been closely monitoring the situation in North Carolina and support the efforts of the Human Rights Campaign, Equality North Carolina, and others to repeal …

Read More »

Ringo Starr Goes Springsteen On North Carolina

Citing the Beatles classic All You Need Is Love, Ringo Starr today cancelled his June 18th concert in Cary, North Carolina, joining with fellow artists in “fighting against the bigotry of HB2.” Ringo further declares that HB2 “opens the door to discrimination everywhere.” See his message below.

Read More »

BRITAIN: Producer David Gest, Former Husband Of Liza Minnelli, Found Dead In London Hotel

The BBC reports: Music producer and reality television star David Gest has died in a London hotel aged 62, a statement from his friend says. Gest, who was 62 years old, passed away at the Four Seasons hotel in Canary Wharf. His friend and former bodyguard Imad Handi confirmed the news in a statement. “It is with great sadness that …

Read More »

CALIFORNIA: Cyndi Lauper And Harvey Fierstein Get Adjacent Stars On Hollywood Walk Of Fame [VIDEO]

Variety reports: It’s hard to imagine a more simpatico creative pairing than Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein. Lauper, the award-winning (Grammy, Emmy and Tony) pop icon whose rainbow-colored hair and anthemic “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” single made her a hero among fiery female teens in the 1980s, has long established herself as a staunch humanitarian and leading advocate for …

Read More »

Bryan Adams Goes Springsteen On Mississippi

Billboard Magazine reports: Bryan Adams has canceled a show in Mississippi in a protest to the state’s passing of what has been described as the most aggressive anti-LGBT law in America. The Canadian rocker has scrapped his April 14 date at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi following the signing into law of the “Religious Liberty” bill 1523, a first-of-its-kind …

Read More »

US Rep. Mark Walker: Radical Leftist Bruce Springsteen Is Bullying North Carolina By Cancelling His Concert

From the Hollywood Reporter: A U.S. congressman who represents portions of Greensboro, N.C., is accusing Bruce Springsteen of being a “bully,” after the rock star canceled a concert there to protest a new law that’s being described as anti-gay. “It’s disappointing he’s not following through on his commitments,” said Rep. Mark Walker, a Republican freshman congressman. “We’ve got other artists …

Read More »

Steven Van Zandt On Springsteen Cancellation: Hurting Haters Economically Is All They Understand [VIDEO]

Watch Van Zandt’s thoughtful interview below. Rolling Stone reports: Hours after Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band canceled their Greensboro, North Carolina concert Sunday to protest the state’s controversial, discriminatory “bathroom bill,” guitarist Steven “Little Stevie” Van Zandt defended Springsteen’s decision while backstage at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony Friday. “We just felt the issue …

Read More »

Alex Newell & Nile Rodgers – Kill The Lights [VIDEO]

Glee star and budding dance diva Alex Newell is out with a scorching disco throwback track today. Kill The Lights features legendary producer Nile Rodgers on guitar and will debut on this weekend’s episode of HBO’s Vinyl as the show’s timeline moves into the disco era. This WILL get your weekend pumping. And yeah, shades of Sylvester here.

Read More »

Bruce Springsteen Cancels North Carolina Concert In Show Of Solidarity For Transgender “Freedom Fighters”

WHOA. Bruce Springsteen tweeted out this statement this afternoon: As you, my fans, know I’m scheduled to play in Greensboro, North Carolina this Sunday. As we also know, North Carolina has just passed HB2, which the media are referring to as the “bathroom” law. HB2 — known officially as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act — dictates which bathrooms …

Read More »

Tegan And Sara – Boyfriend [AUDIO]

The new single from Canada’s best identical twin lesbian pop duo was released last night and it’s pretty great. Billboard reviews: The track’s a stadium-shaking hand-clapper from the twin duo’s forthcoming album, Love You to Death. Sara Quin spoke to DJ Matt Wilkinson about the song, explaining the story behind the song: Quin was stuck in a love triangle with …

Read More »

President Obama Opens American Idol Finale With Praise For Show And Call For Voter Registration [VIDEO]

American Idol ended its 15-season run last night and the finale began with a message from the president. Via Deadline: Acknowledging “not all of us can sing like Kelly Clarkson,” Obama told viewers of the very last episode of the Fox series “all of our voices matter.” Opening up the jam packed 2-hour end to Idol’s fifteen season run, the …

Read More »