 FEATURES:
DEPARTMENTS
 Letter from a veteran: Photographer Paul Natkin has seen bands come and go. He’s seen them stay, too, and makes his predictions about longevity
Opening Act: Festivals worth the journey (including two where you’ll need a passport), shows to revisit, snippets and things to ponder
Kickin’ in Your Stall: There are good bands, bad bands and—according to Carl Gustafson—a select few that merit the death penalty
 Influences: Sitting down with icons Ronnie Wood and Kenney Jones after their book release and before their Rock Hall induction, the two talk about their shared influences and shoot the breeze. Listen in on the fun
On the Record: Outlaw/bad boy Willie Nelson, in his late-70s, decided Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die might be an inappropriate title for his latest release; let’s hope so. Dr. John called it Locked Down, but we disagree; Paul Thorn asked What the Hell is Goin On? despite the fact he’s got it goin’ on; Tedeschi Trucks band knows Everybody’s Talkin’, and who can blame them? Béla Fleck goes Across the Imaginary Divide to join the Marcus Roberts Trio, and good thing he did
Re.Issues: Part deux of the Jethro Tull saga and the unending genius of Ian Anderson. The Ventures with a Vol. 2 collection (expect to hear more later), and, from a different reality, David Axelrod’s rockified Messiah
Pet Sounds: Where are they now? They’re here! Ali Green assesses Jack White, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros and Neil Young’s latest efforts, and finds their magic as compelling as ever
What’d I Say: Jim Hynes revisits Chi-town and says the new music is as good as the old, and sometimes the two overlap
Saturday Night and Sunday Morning: Managing Editor and In-House Ninja John Kuroski combines his jobs and finds Lou Ragland a quirky, determined I-can-do-it-all kind of guy out there, doing it all
Also Appearing: Jack White and an estrogen-rich band rock Roseland Ballroom. Chuck Berry still duckwalks at 85. Two out-of-the-box instruments had ’em going—the Punch Brothers, where Chris Thile’s mandolin blew out Town Hall, and Jake Shimabukuro’s ukulele made its usual outsized impact at Rhythm N’ Blooms. Buddy Guy’s bio in print and the Grateful Dead—in keeping with their endless sets—on 14 DVDs, oh my!
Collecting: Golden-voiced Steve Marriott started out with Charles Dickens Oliver!, reportedly stormed off stage at a New Year’s Eve Small Faces gig, then formed Humble Pie. Arnie Goodman names Marriott’s records to hear and own
Get to Know 20 List: GPS Edition – Artist or location?
This Month’s Trivia
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Sometimes, it pays to hold on to those ticket stubs. Ten lucky individuals in Providence, Rhode Island are going to see the Who on their Quadrophenia tour after redeeming tickets for a cancelled 1979 Who concert. The original concert was cancelled for safety concerns following the trampling deaths of fans at a Cincinnati show. The tickets turned in will be auctioned off as memorabilia with proceeds going to the Rhode Island Special Olympics, and ten fans get the Who concert they paid for 33 years ago.
The Silver Jubilee for the Rolling Stones continues with a documentary feature celebrating the legendary rock band’s work. This fall, HBO will air The Rolling Stones: The Greatest Rock & Roll Band In The World, a documentary tracking the band’s rise from its humble night club beginnings to its status as one of the world’s best bands. All four current Rolling Stones are participating in the film, as are former Stones Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor. No word yet on whether or not the Stones will celebrate their 50th with a world tour; the band hasn’t performed together since 2007.
Even at 63 years old, Bruce Springsteen shows no signs of slowing down. The veteran rocker set a personal record for himself by performing for over four hours at a show in Helsinki, Finland. It’s the longest show the Boss and his E Street Band have ever performed, which is even more impressive considering his fondness for marathon-like shows. We’ll get a chance to see if he can break that record when he returns to the United States this fall.
Let it be said that no one can accuse Bob Dylan of resting on his laurels. The 71 year-old legend is going to come roaring back this September with Tempest, his first batch of new recorded material since 2009’s Together Through Life. (We’re going to pretend that his ill-conceived Christmas album from that year never happened.) Dylan told Rolling Stone that the new album has an undercurrent of darkness about it which is exemplified by the title track, a 14-minute dirge based on the sinking of the Titanic. Look for Tempest at record stores (and in an upcoming issue of Elmore) this fall.
The Big Four Labels have now become the Big Three. Sony Music has reportedly completed the acquisition of EMI Music, giving the company an unprecedented amount of control over the publishing rights of the song catalogs of such artists as The Beatles, Michael Jackson, and Amy Winehouse, among others. Sony also controls the rights to the entire Motown catalog and standards like “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” as a result of the sale. This deal doesn’t affect the sale of EMI’s recording and distributing rights to Universal Music Group, a deal opposed by many industry insiders.
Boys of Summer: Allison Johnelle Boron shoots the curl with the Beach Boys, whose 50-year ride has gone from bitchin’ to gnarly, and is now back to rad