genre rock
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MGK is looking forward to his second round of fatherhood. The rocker, who is expecting a child with his ex-fiancée Megan Fox, took to his Instagram Stories on Sunday (Feb. 16) to share a photo of a church stage, which showed the projected message, “Your past is not your purpose—your priority is ahead of you.” […]
The first round of grants targeting wildfire relief efforts in Los Angeles following last month’s all-star FireAid benefit concerts were announced on Tuesday (Feb. 18). The $50 million-worth of phase one gifting — representing half of the estimated $100 million raised by the shows — will prioritize “community-based organizations that are on the front lines of wildfire relief.”
The groups, which organizers said have the infrastructure, experience, and in-place relationships to “efficiently and equitably” deliver assistance to fire-impacted individuals, are each for $100,000 or more and targeted toward immediate relief; phase two will be more focused on rebuilding efforts following the series of fires that killed 29 Angelenos and destroyed more than 16,0000 homes and structures.
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The organizations are split into several buckets, including emergency aid to children and families, school recovery funding, targeted support for vulnerable youth and foster youth and funds to help with educational continuity via a grant to A Sense of Home.
The community hubs and conveners grant will send funds to Abundant Harvest LIFT, a community crisis center that distributes information, financial assistance and connects individuals with critical resources for survivors of the Eaton Canyon fire. Other groups covered by this grant include: Chabad Jewish Community Center of Pacific Palisades, Clery Community Coalition, Inc., Deliverance Tabernacle Church, First AME Pasadena, Flintridge Center, Friends Indeed, Harambee Ministries – Pasadena, Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, Kehillat Israel Synagogue, LA Voice Benevolence Fund, Masjid al Taqwa, NAACP of Pasadena, Pasadena Church, Pasadena City College Foundation, Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center, Pasadena Seventh Day Adventist, St. Vincent de Paul Society’s St. Elizabeth Conference of Altadena, the Santa Monica College Foundation, Victory Bible Church Pasadena and YMCA Metro.
Disaster relief will distribute direct cash aid for Angeleno’s most critical needs, as well as coordinated efforts to clear hazardous waste, test water quality and restore safe living conditions. The grantees for those efforts include: Alliance for a Better Community, Black LA Relief & Recovery Fund, Brotherhood Crusade, CA Conservation Corps, CA Native Vote Project, Change Reaction, CORE, Heal the Bay, Jewish Free Loan Association, LA Conservation Corps, LA County Household Relief Fund, LA Works, Inc., Latino Community Foundation, My Tribe Rise, Pasadena Community Foundation Eaton Canyon Fire Relief Fund and Team Rubicon.
Grants covering food access and security needs for those displaced residents who are in shelters without cooking facilities and who face challenges sourcing nutritious meals will go to: Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, Hollywood Food Coalition, Hunger Action Los Angeles, Los Angeles Food Policy Council, Las Angeles Regional Food Bank, Meals on Wheels, Saint Vincent, Meals on Wheels, West, Office of Food Equity, Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles, Project Angel Food and Westside Food Bank.
Aid for frontline, displaced workers and small businesses to assist first frontline workers possibly facing displacement, financial strain and mental health challenges, as well as workers who commuted to affected areas for jobs and small businesses needing relief to rebuild will go to: CA Firefighters Benevolent Fund, IDEPSCA, Inclusive Action For the City, LA Region Worker Relief Fund, Labor Community Services Program of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Black Worker Center, Philipino Workers Center and Restaurants Care Project.
Health and housing assistance for wildfire survivors facing physical and mental health challenges due to exposure to smoke and poor air quality, as well as stress and trauma, include: Dena Heals, Didi Hirsch, Door of Hope, Foothill Family Service, Greenline Housing Foundation, LA Coalition of Community Clinics, LA Family Housing Corporation, LIFT-Los Angeles, NAMI Westside LA, Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County, Pacific Clinics, St. Joseph Center, The People Concern, Union Station Homeless Corporation, United American Indian Involvement and Vision y Compromiso.
Los Angeles’ vast musical community will also get some assistance after many musicians and artists lost their homes, equipment, studios and income in the fires. The funds will provide direct aid to affected artists, as well as mental health services, employment in community programs and support for small arts organizations to ensure their survival. The grantees include: Armory Center for the Arts, LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund, LA Commons, LA County Arts & Creative Recovery Fund, MusiCares Foundation, Music Health Alliance – Music Industry Mental Health Fund and Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.
Organizations helping Angelenos facing displacement, trauma and having trouble navigating survivor services who will receive funds include: 211LA, Bet Tzedek, Dena Care Collective, Imagine Los Angeles, Inc., Legal Aid of LA, Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County – BAILA and Public Counsel.
Schools around the L.A. region have had classes severely disrupted due to the fires while some have faced closure as displaced students — especially those from low-income households in college — struggle with housing, financial aid stability and campus resources. Aid for those groups will go to: California Charter School Association, Communities in Schools of Los Angeles, LA Community College Foundation, LAUSD Foundation, Pasadena Educational Foundation, Palisades Charter HS and Project Camp.
Supportive services for vulnerable populations including seniors and people with disabilities who may confront issues accessing aid, healthcare and stable housing will get a boost with grants to: Disability Community Resource Center, Jewish Family Services of Los Angeles, Malibu Senior Center, Pasadena Senior Center and Special Needs Network Inc.
Click here to see the full list.
Organizers says the first phase of funds will be distributed by the end of February. The second phase will focus on sustaining long-term recovery, remediation and rebuilding, as well as addressing environmental issues. Fundraising for the fund is still open.
January’s two shows at L.A.’s Intuit Dome and Kia Forum were seen by more than 50 million viewers across 28 streaming platforms, who tuned in to performances by more than 30 artists including Green Day with Billie Eilish, Jelly Roll, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Olivia Rodrigo, Peso Pluma, Stevie Wonder, Lil Baby, Tate McRae, Sting, Alanis Morissette, Anderson .Paak with Dr. Dre and Sheila E, Dawes, John Mayer, a Nirvana reunion, Joni Mitchell, a reunited No Doubt, P!nk and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, among many others.
Former Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum has dismissed suggestions that Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler will ever return to the touring circuit.
Sorum’s claims arrived just weeks after Tyler made a return to the stage as part of his sixth annual Jam for Janie Grammy Awards Viewing Party. With Sorum serving as Musical Director, the event was only the second time that Tyler had performed live since a 2023 vocal injury which halted Aerosmith’s touring schedule, and the first time since the band announced their formal retirement in August of 2024.
Performing alongside Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt, Tyler sung covers of songs by Extreme and Led Zeppelin, and four Aerosmith staples, which saw the musician joined by the likes of Mick Fleetwood, Lainey Wilson, the Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson, Jessie J, and Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton. However, despite the positive response from fans, Sorum told Joe Rock of Long Island radio station WBAB (via Blabbermouth) that the strain of global touring would prevent Tyler from performing on a large scale once again.
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“Some fans were a little bit, like, ‘Well, he can sing.’ Well, let me just explain what’s happening with Steven Tyler, ’cause he’s a really good friend,” Sorum explained. “He went out and sang. And it was a really big moment for him because he hurt himself bad. Now, is he gonna tour again? No, he’s not. Because, and I explained this to people, Steven cannot put himself under the rigors of doing a full worldwide tour because there’s a lot of pressure.
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“And if you’re not a singer, you wouldn’t understand what he goes through, but he’s 77 years old and he’s a perfectionist. And if he doesn’t sing correctly, it bothers him. And he’s not gonna put it on tape, like 80 percent of the people that are out there taking your money. He will not be on tape, and he won’t change the keys of the song. That’s just who he is. He’s, like, ‘I’m an artist. I’m a singer. This is my band. I’ve been doing this for 50 years. And if I can’t do it perfect, I can’t do it.’ And I respect that.
“I talked to him about it multiple times,” added Sorum. “I said, ‘So, just sing four or five songs tops.’ He says, ‘I can do that.’ And that was just one time. Maybe down the line, he’ll do it again and possibly do the same amount of songs.”
Initially, early reports of Tyler’s recent live appearance claimed that the performance would in fact be an Aerosmith reunion. If it were true, it would have been the group’s first live show since Sept. 2023.
While performing in Elmont, NY on Sept. 9 of that year, Tyler fractured his larynx, necessitating the postponement of shows on their Peace Out tour. Ultimately, these shows were canceled entirely when the band announced their retirement from touring in August 2024.
In January, Hamilton spoke to Boston’s WBUR to provide an update on Tyler’s health status, and to provide an insight into future Aerosmith activity. “Maybe Aerosmith will do something in the future, but it’s a big if and the last thing I want to be doing is to try and push Steven in that direction,” he explained. “If we do anything in the future, it would come from him.”
Tool bassist Justin Chancellor has provided an update into the band’s famously-protracted album release schedule, revealing that the Los Angeles quartet will be hitting the studio following their upcoming tour of South America.
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Speaking to Summa Inferno, Chancellor explained that after Tool – whose last album arrived in 2019 – wrap up a run of March shows in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Brazil, they plan to “dedicate the next three months after that in the studio to organizing our ideas”.
“There are a lot of stages in the process,” Chancellor continued. “We all have ideas. When they’re good, when we like them, we kind of save them or memorize them. The really difficult process is when you actually get together and make decisions about how it’s going to end up. And that becomes a little more mathematical, a little more like in the classroom — there’s a blackboard and there’s numbers and you have to make decisions. So that’s the stage we haven’t completely pulled off yet, but we’re committed to do that when we get back.”
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Noting that the band “have a really good pile of stuff” after its members shared their individual ideas with others, Chancellor noted that the next stage of the process is where things become a lot more complicated.
“You have to make those decisions, and you have to kind of wrestle with each other a bit to get to that next stage,” he explained. “And then you have to record it, which is a whole other thing as well. It’s like a pregnancy, almost. When you go to the studio, you have to make this final decision of how it’s going to sound and how you’re going to play it, and it’s going to live like that forever.”
Though Tool celebrate their 35th anniversary in 2025, their lengthy history has only brought with it a comparatively-meager five full-length records. Famously, a 13-year gap followed the release of 2006’s 10,000 Days, with fifth album Fear Inoculum giving the band their third consecutive Billboard 200 chart-topper upon its August 2019 release.
While the band were forced to contend with a long-running lawsuit that delayed the production of their most recent record, Chancellor – who joined Tool ahead of 1996’s Ænima – defended the length of time the band spends working on material.
“It’s a real delicate thing to be able to pull off,” Chancellor explained. “I don’t think it’s unreasonable that we take a long time at all. I think that’s only natural, and that’s why I’m proud of it, because it was worked on really hard.”
Tool’s Fear Inoculum record also scored the band a pair of Grammy nominations, including Best Rock Song for its title track, and Best Metal Performance for “7empest” – with the band winning the latter.
Notably, upon the release of 10-minute-and-21-second lead single “Fear Inoculum”, it became the longest song to enter the Hot 100 – dethroning David Bowie’s 2015 single “Blackstar” by 24 seconds in the process.
Tool were themselves outshone by André 3000 by almost two minutes in 2023, when his New Blue Sun album opener “I Swear, I Really Wanted to Make a ‘Rap’ Album but This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time” entered the chart at No. 90.
Veteran rockabilly musician Brian Setzer has revealed he’s currently unable to play guitar, with an unspecified autoimmune disease halting his celebrated abilities.
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Setzer shared the news on social media on Thursday (Feb. 13), giving fans an update as to his current status following a few months away from the stage. In his post, he revealed that towards the end of the Stray Cats’ 2024 summer tour (which wrapped in August), he was left with cramping hands and a diminished ability to play guitar.
“I’ve since discovered that I have an auto-immune disease. I cannot play guitar,” he told his followers. “There is no pain, but it feels like I am wearing a pair of gloves when I try to play. I have seen some progress in that I can hold a pen and tie my shoes. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I was at a point where I couldn’t even do that.
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“Luckily, I have the best hospital in the world down the block from me. It’s called the Mayo Clinic. I know I will beat this, it will just take some time.”
Setzer first rose to fame at the start of the ‘80s as the guitarist and vocalist of New York rockabilly outfit Stray Cats. Following a string of successful albums and singles (including Hot 100 top ten hits “Rock This Town” and “Stray Cat Strut” from their 1981 self-titled debut), the group split in 1984 before reforming two years later.
Alongside further splits and reunions, Setzer has also been the leader of the eponymous Brian Setzer Orchestra since 1990. His most recent solo album, The Devil Always Collects, arrived in 2023, while Stray Cats returned in 2019 with 40, their first studio album in 26 years.
Setzer’s battle with an auto-immune disease isn’t the first time the acclaimed musician’s health has kept him away from the stage. In 2019, he was forced to cancel 26 dates of his Christmas Rocks! Tour due to being diagnosed with a severe case of tinnitus – a condition that causes sufferers to hear a constant noise or ringing in their ears.
“I’m truly sorry for the inconvenience this has caused all of the amazing people who make my tour happen and to my unbelievably loyal and devoted fans,” Setzer wrote at the time. “I hate to let you down and I hope you’ll understand.”
Though no touring plans have been affected by Setzer’s recent diagnosis, his positive demeanor bodes well for a swift return to the stage.
Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Jason Momoa and more have been added to the lineup for Black Sabbath’s final reunion concert.
On Monday (Feb. 17), Ozzy Osbourne‘s official Instagram account revealed the new additions to the star-studded Back to the Beginning show, set for July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, England.
Aquaman actor Momoa will host the event, while Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello will serve as musical director. Other newly announced acts include Rival Sons, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, songwriter-producer Andrew Watt, and bassist Dave Ellefson.
In early February, Black Sabbath confirmed details of their last-ever live performance, which will feature the classic lineup of Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward. It will be the first time the original band has performed together in two decades.
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“I’m not planning on doing a set with Black Sabbath but I am doing little bits and pieces with them,” Osbourne said recently on his Ozzy Speaks program on SiriusXM’s Ozzy’s Boneyard. “I am doing what I can, where I feel comfortable.”
Osbourne hasn’t staged a full concert since Dec. 31, 2018, the final date of his No More Tours trek. Just two months later, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, and his health has since impacted further large-scale performance plans, leading to numerous cancellations.
Described as “the final show” on promotional artwork, the Back to the Beginning lineup also features Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Pantera, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Alice in Chains and Halestorm, Gojira, among others.
Check out the updated lineup poster for Black Sabbath’s final show on Instagram below.
Pantera’s latest stop on their European tour came with a legendary surprise when the metal heavyweights were joined on stage by none other than Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson for a rendition of their 1992 classic “Walk.”
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The metal legends took over Adidas Arena in Paris on Feb. 15, treating fans to a career-spanning set. Before launching into “Walk,” frontman Phil Anselmo addressed the crowd, noting that Dickinson was in attendance. Midway through the track, the Iron Maiden vocalist stormed the stage, mic in hand, to sing the song’s iconic chorus alongside Anselmo. The Pantera frontman even bowed in front of Dickinson in a moment of mutual metal respect.
Fan-shot footage of the moment quickly made waves online, with fans praising the crossover between two of metal’s most influential ac
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The surprise guest appearance came just days before Pantera kicks off their first U.K. and Ireland headlining tour in 20 years, with shows in Glasgow (Feb. 18), Leeds (Feb. 19), Dublin (Feb. 21), Birmingham (Feb. 23), and London (Feb. 25). The band will also return to the U.K. this July, supporting Black Sabbath at their final reunion show alongside Metallica, Slayer, Gojira, and Mastodon.
Pantera’s reunion tour, featuring core members Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown alongside Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante filling in for the late Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul, has been a point of both celebration and controversy. While the tour has been met with strong demand, the band faced backlash in 2023 over Anselmo’s past actions, leading to festival cancellations in Germany and Austria.
Despite the controversy, Pantera has continued to sell out major venues across the globe, and Dickinson’s unexpected cameo only added to the excitement surrounding their current run.
Beyond their dominance on the live stage, Pantera’s legacy is solidified in the charts. The band made history in 1994 when Far Beyond Driven debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making it the first extreme metal album to ever claim the top spot. The record, fueled by tracks like “I’m Broken” and “5 Minutes Alone,” marked a turning point for metal’s mainstream acceptance.
Their follow-up albums continued their chart success, with The Great Southern Trendkill (No. 4, 1996) and Reinventing the Steel (No. 4, 2000) reinforcing their standing in heavy music. Meanwhile, their seminal 1992 release Vulgar Display of Power—featuring classics like “Walk” and “Mouth for War”—remains a defining album of the genre, certified double platinum by the RIAA.
Fans hoping for a full-scale Black Sabbath reunion at Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell show may need to temper their expectations, with the heavy metal pioneer revealing he won’t be playing a full set with the band.
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Osbourne made the announcement on his Ozzy Speaks program on SiriusXM channel Ozzy’s Boneyard, where he provided an update as to his plans for the recently-announced “Back to the Beginning” concert.
Described as “the final show” on the poster artwork, the lineup features both Black Sabbath and Osbourne alongside other big names such as Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax. Other high-profile artists, such as Pantera, Lamb Of God, Mastodon, Alice In Chains, Halestorm and recent Grammy Award-winners Gojira are also included.
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“I’m not planning on doing a set with Black Sabbath but I am doing little bits and pieces with them,” Osbourne explained. “I am doing what I can, where I feel comfortable.”
Osbourne hasn’t performed a full set since Dec. 31, 2018 on the final date of his No More Tours tour. Just two months later, the metal pioneer was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, and any plans for further large-scale performances have been affected by numerous cancellations and health issues
“I am trying to get back on my feet,” Osbourne added. “When you get up in the morning, you just jump out of bed. I have to balance myself, but I’m not dead. I’m still actively doing things.”
These comments track with a previous update from Osbourne earlier this month, where he told listeners that he’s still soldiering on despite his myriad health issues.
“I have made it to 2025. I can’t walk, but you know what I was thinking over the holidays? For all my complaining, I’m still alive,” he said. “I may be moaning that I can’t walk, but I look down the road, and there’s people that didn’t do half as much as me and didn’t make it.”
Speaking to the BBC following the announcement of the July concert, Osbourne’s wife and manager Sharon explained that the show was a chance for Osbourne to end a career which has been affected in recent years by numerous cancellations and health issues.
“He’s doing great. He’s doing really great,” she said. “He’s so excited about this, about being with the guys again and all his friends. It’s exciting for everyone.”
“Ozzy didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to his friends, to his fans, and he feels there’s no been no full stop. This is his full stop.”
Chester Bennington‘s child Draven has revealed they are transgender.
In a Valentine’s Day message on Instagram (Feb. 14), the 22-year-old child of the late Linkin Park singer shared that they “came out as transgender” in 2024 and are currently in the process of transitioning.
“As today is a day to celebrate love and what love truly means, whether it’s for a partner, family, or ourselves, I thought it would be the perfect time to show some love to myself,” Draven wrote in a typed note. “For a long time, I tried to be someone, someone I truly wasn’t on the inside. Ignoring it worked for a while, but continuously coming to the crossroads of being happy or being complacent was one I couldn’t keep crossing.”
Draven revealed that in August 2024, they made the life-changing decision to come out as transgender and begin hormone replacement therapy. “It has been the best decision I’ve ever made in my life,” the said.
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Since sharing the news, Draven has received unwavering support from friends and family, including their mother, Samantha Bennington.
“I love each and every one of you who have shown me nothing but love and respect and see me for who I truly am,” they added. “With all the support and love I’ve received, I’ve built the strength to love myself. This is why I’m choosing to no longer hide who I am. Love is love. Happy Valentine’s Day,” Draven concluded.
Samantha Bennington, who was married to Chester from 1996 to 2005, expressed her pride and love for Draven in the comments section of the post.
“I’m so proud of you. I love you with all my heart and soul,” she wrote. “You’re my favorite human on the planet. I just want you happy and healthy forever and always.”
Chester Bennington passed away by suicide in July 2017 at the age of 41. He struggled with drug and alcohol addiction throughout his life. In addition to Draven, the musician shared sons Tyler, 18, and twin daughters, Lily and Lila, 13, with his second wife, Talinda Bentley. He was also father to sons Jamie, 28, and Isaiah, 27, from his relationship with ex-partner Elka Brand.
Draven, who has followed in their father’s footsteps to pursue a career in music, shared in 2023 with People that they hope to leave a lasting impact on fans, just as Chester did.
“Every time I hear somebody’s story, telling like how much my dad’s music impacted their life, I just think it’s really beautiful,” Draven said. “I think that’s really sweet how something that he was just doing as a passion, what he loved, had that effect on so many people.”
See Draven’s full Valentine’s Day post on Instagram below.
Este Haim has an especially gleeful photo up on Instagram that hints at an engagement to reported beau Jonathan Levin, tech entrepreneur and CEO of Chainalysis. Este, one third of sister band Haim with Danielle and Alana, posted a selfie that flashed what looks to be a diamond on her left finger on Thursday (Feb. […]