Author Archives : Dana

ALICE COOPER’S DOCUMENTARY “SUPER DUPER ALICE COOPER” PREMIERING AT THE TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL ON APRIL 17TH, THEATRICAL SCREENINGS STARTING APRIL 30TH

As announced earlier this month, the upcoming official Alice Cooper documentary, Super Duper Alice Cooper, will premiere at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival and will hit theaters nationwide beginning April 30th, 2014.

Super Duper Alice Cooper will officially premiere on April 17th, 2014 and is presented by Banger Films, in association with Eagle Rock Entertainment, and distributed to theaters and venues by SpectiCast (As The Palaces Burn, Aerosmith: Rock for the Rising Sun, Morrissey 25: Live).

Catch this special “doc opera” at a theater or venue near you. Super Duper Alice Cooper will screen in over 250 U.S. cinemas and venues following the premiere (see below for a full listing). As mentioned previously, a special pre-recorded Keep Calm & Just Ask Alice Q&A and welcome from Alice will be included exclusively with each screening.

See below for a current list of U.S. theatrical and venue screenings, sorted by their original screening date. Several of the mentioned theaters and venues will show multiple screenings of Super Duper Alice Cooper, so make sure to check your local listings for more information.

Upcoming Super Duper Alice Cooper U.S. screenings:

4/30:

Fairfax, VA Angelika Mosaic
Dallas, TX Angelika Film Dallas
Plano, TX Angelika Film Plano
San Diego, CA Gaslamp 15
Honolulu, HI Ward Stadium 16
Sacramento, CA Tower Theatre
La Mesa, CA Grossmont Center 10
Rohnert Park, CA Rohnert Park 16
Bakersfield, CA Valley Plaza 16
New York, NY Village East
Manville, NJ Manville 12-Plex
Murrieta, CA Cal Oaks 17
Cleveland, OH Capitol Theatre
Cleveland, OH Shaker Square Cinemas
Pittsburgh, PA Southside Works Cinema
Peoria, AZ Arrowhead Fountains 18
Oklahoma City, OK Bricktown 16
Chandler, AZ Chandler Fashion 20
Moreno Valley, CA Moreno Valley 16
Denver, CO Northfield 18
Phoenix, AZ Scottsdale 101
Arlington, MA Regent Theatre
Claremont, CA Claremont 5
North Hollywood, CA NoHo 7
Pasadena, CA Playhouse 7
Amherst, NY The Screening Room Inc.
Chestnut Hill, MA Showcase SuperLux
Millbury, MA Blackstone Valley 14 Cinema de Lux
Dedham, MA Showcase Cinema de Lux Legacy Place
Bridgeport, CT Showcase Cinemas Bridgeport
White Plains, NY City Center 15: Cinema De Lux
Whitestone, NY College Point Multiplex Cinemas
Edgewater, NJ Edgewater Multiplex Cinemas
Farmingdale, NY Farmingdale Multiplex Cinemas
Holtsville, NY Island 16: Cinema De Lux
Lowell, MA Showcase Cinemas Lowell
Foxboro, MA Showcase Cinema de Lux Patriot Place
Providence, RI Providence Place Cinemas 16
Springdale, OH Springdale 18: Cinema De Lux
Warwick, RI Showcase Cinemas Warwick
Randolph, MA Showcase Cinema de Lux Randolph
Revere, MA Showcase Cinema de Lux Revere
Elmsford, NY Greenburgh Multiplex Cinemas
Yonkers, NY Showcase Cinema de Lux Ridge Hill
Bonita Springs, FL Prado Stadium 12

5/1:

San Francisco, CA Balboa Theatre
Cincinnati, OH Esquire Theatre
Columbus, OH Gateway Film Center
Sparta, NJ Digiplex Sparta
Mechanicsburg, PA Digiplex Mechanicsburg
Camp Hill, PA Digiplex Camp Hill
Williamsport, PA Digiplex Williamsport
Bloomsburg, PA Digiplex Bloomsburg
Selinsgrove, PA Digiplex Selinsgrove
Reading, PA Digiplex Fairgrounds
Solon, OH Digiplex Solon Cinema 16
Surprise, AZ Digiplex Surprise Pointe 14
Bloomfield, CT Digiplex Bloomfield
Lisbon, CT Digiplex Lisbon
Torrington, CT Digiplex CINEROM Torrington
Temecula, CA Digiplex Temecula Tower 10
Apple Valley, CA Digiplex Apple Valley 14
Bonsall, CA Digiplex River Village
Oceanside, CA Digiplex Mission Marketplace 13
Poway, CA Digiplex Poway 10
Westfield, NJ Digiplex Rialto Westfield
San Rafael, CA California Film Institute

5/2:

Phoenix, AZ FilmBar

5/7:

Athens, OH Athena Grand

5/13:

Tuscon, AZ The Loft Cinema

5/19:

Bridgeport, CT Bijou Theatre

ORIGINAL KISS GUITARIST ACE FREHLEY ON THE ROCK N’ ROLL HALL OF FAME: “PAUL AND GENE HAVE BEEN INSINUATING THAT PETER AND MYSELF DON’T HAVE IT ANYMORE, WHICH IS A LOAD OF CRAP”

Jon Wiederhorn of Revolver spoke with original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley about the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame. The interview appears in its entirety below.

Revolver: What happened, from your perspective, in regards to a possible KISS reunion performance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction?

Ace Frehley: Originally, the Hall of Fame asked all four of us to do a reunion and that was presented to each original member who is being inducted. Then some time went by, and I heard a couple weeks back that Paul and Gene decided to perform with Tommy [Thayer] and Eric [Singer]. And I had gone on the Eddie Trunk show earlier, about a month prior to the last time I went on, and I was saying, “Yeah, it would be great if we did a reunion.” It was shot down, but I think I led the fans to believe there was going to be a reunion. With tickets going on sale the following Monday, I decided to go on Ed Trunk’s show a couple weeks back when I was in Las Vegas recording. I just wanted to let the fans know that last I heard, Paul and Gene decided not to perform with me and Peter [Criss] and opted to perform with Tommy and Eric. It got a lot of people pissed off, but I had to lay it out because I didn’t want fans buying tickets for an event they weren’t going to see. Last I heard, there’s going to be no performance. There has been a lot of negotiating behind closed doors and I’m sworn to secrecy. But last I heard, there’s just going to be no performance. I don’t know what the reason is. And at this point, I don’t care because it was renting so much space in my head, it was affecting my creativity and finishing up my record.

Revolver: You got onstage with Peter at Eddie Trunk’s birthday party. That was the first time you had played with him in 13 years. Did you see that as a litmus test for future performances together?

Ace Frehley: Since me and Peter have gone our own ways, we haven’t made any plans to tour together in the future. But it was just a special event for Ed, and both myself and Peter are good friends with Eddie Trunk. He has always supported our careers with KISS and without KISS. So it was something I wanted to do for Ed and it was a lot of fun. I’ve been reading stuff on the Internet and Paul and Gene have been insinuating that maybe Peter and myself don’t have it anymore, which is a load of crap. We proved otherwise at Eddie’s party, but aside from that, it’s very misleading. I think somehow they wanted to validate the current lineup. I don’t have a problem with the current lineup. It is what it is–it’s half a KISS cover band.

But the event at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is about the four original members. Nobody else is being inducted except the four. If Tommy and Eric were being inducted as well, along with Bruce [Kulick] and Eric Carr and Vinnie Vincent–yeah, why not.

Revolver: Why didn’t the Hall of Fame nominate everyone who has been in the band? Paul had some complaints about that earlier, saying everyone who has ever played on a Red Hot Chili Peppers record has been nominated, why not everyone who has ever played with KISS?

Ace Frehley: I don’t want to take any potshots at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It’s a cool organization. But it is what it is. Obviously, Paul brought out the inconsistencies. They bend their own rules. I don’t want to get political though because I hate politics. I’ve always said to keep politics and music separate.

source: revolvermag.com

EDDIE VAN HALEN ON THE RUMOR THAT HE WANTED TO JOIN KISS: “IF IT HAPPENED I’M SURE I WOULD HAVE REMEMBERED”

The Van Halen News Desk reports:

KISS’s Gene Simmons claims that he once had to talk Eddie Van Halen out of leaving Van Halen and joining KISS. Simmons has repeated this story a few times over the last 20 years, but we’ve never heard what Eddie Van Halen has to say about this story…until now!

The Van Halen News Desk has found a rare interview in which Van Halen was asked about this rumor. This interview, embedded below, was conducted by Alan K. Stout of The Times Leader. Alan states, ”It’s not everyday that a guy who, as a kid, wore a Van Halen t-shirt to school all the time and wore a “VH” necklace gets to chat at length with the guitar legend. But that’s what happened to me at The Times Leader back in the spring of 1995.”

It’s a typical Balance era interview until the interviewer pops the off-the-record question. Here’s the transcription of the KISS – related segment:

Alan K. Stout: I have this book [KISS’ coffee table book] KISSTORY, and there is a passage in there about you.

Eddie: Wow!

Alan K. Stout: It said back around ’82, you had dinner or lunch with Gene and Paul in L.A., and Ace [Frehley] had just quit, and you weren’t happy, and they talked about bringing you into the band. Is that true?

Eddie: Not that I know of.

Alan K. Stout: [Laughs] I didn’t think it was!

Eddie: Unless I was so fucked up I don’t remember…? They might have asked me…?

Alan K. Stout: I thought that’s a fascinating Eddie Van Halen story that I don’t think anybody knows.

Eddie: Not even me! Wow. No, I don’t have a clue. They might have just asked me in passing, and I just kind of laughed it off, probably.

Alan K. Stout: [Laughs] Yeah! I didn’t think it was something that was being seriously talked about.

Eddie: If it happened I’m sure I would have remembered.

Alan K. Stout: [Laughs] Funny story.

Eddie: That’s hilarious. Maybe they did ask me and I just thought they were joking…?

What do you think is the real story? Simmons insists this happened. Paul Stanley was just asked about this rumor, and said he never heard anything about it before. Eddie has never publicly said anything about ever wanting to join KISS. Who do you think is telling the truth? And who’s telling a different kind of truth?

Listen to the entire interview below. The KISS discussion takes place at the 15:45 mark.

source: vhnd.com

ROCK HALL DEFENDS THEIR POSITION ON KISS, CEO JOEL PRESSMAN SAYS SINGER AND THAYER “TOOK ON PERSONAS CREATED BY ACE AND PETER”

Gary Graff of Billboard reports:

With the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremony looming closer, neither KISS nor the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation seem ready to relax the entrenched positions that led to the group’s decision not to perform April 10th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

KISS, according to frontman Paul Stanley, is upset that the Rock Hall plans to induct only the group’s founding lineup and tells Billboard that discussions about subsequent members “was shut down as a non-starter.”

Nevertheless, Stanley says KISS feels that honoring the other six musicians who have played in the band is “a very valid argument considering that there are people who played on multi-platinum albums and played for millions of people and were very important for the continuation of the band. And clearly when you’ve got a busload of Grateful Dead (members) who have been inducted and guys in the Chili Peppers who nobody knows who they are because they played on the very earliest albums are inducted…The list goes on and on of the inconsistencies. Now, I’m not pointing fingers at any of those people, but I’m certainly pointing a finger at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The only consistencies are inconsistencies and the rules clearly are there are no rules because the criteria for how and who gets in is purely based upon a personal like or dislike. And when I feel we’re being treated unfairly, I have issues with that.”

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation CEO Joel Peresman says that the decision about who to induct from any band is made by the Rock Hall’s nominating committee as well as an adjunct group of “scholars and historians” familiar with specific inductees and genres. “This isn’t chemistry or physics; it’s not an exact science,” Peresman acknowledges. “Sometimes there’s an entire body of work up until (the artists) are inducted, other times it’s a specific period of time that established the band as who they are. With KISS there wasn’t one person here who didn’t agree that the reason Kiss was nominated and is being inducted was because of what was established in the ’70s with Ace (Frehley), with Peter (Criss), with Paul and Gene (Simmons). That’s what put them on that map.”

Peresman adds that KISS “is a unique situation where you have artists who wear makeup as part of what the band’s about,” but the Rock Hall felt that the later members — including current guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer, who are wearing Frehley and Criss’ makeup, respectively — “are fine musicians who…basically have the same makeup and are the same characters that Ace and Peter started. It’s not like they created these other characters with different makeup and playing different songs. They took the persona of characters that were created by Ace and Peter.” Persman notes that last year Heart was in a similar position, where the Rock Hall chose to induct the original ’70s sextet and not later musicians that played in the band.

But Stanley feels the situation with KISS is a bit more personal. “That it’s 14 years on (of eligibility) and we’re getting into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a clear indication that the people who hide behind that moniker don’t like us, but it reached a point where it was so absurd and ludicrous (to exclude Kiss) that they caved,” he says. “It’s like them swallowing a teaspoon of medicine they don’t want. It’s a bitter pill for them to swallow, so they’re making it as small as possible.”

Stanley says that the Rock Hall asked KISS to perform as the original quartet, in make-up, but he and Simmons — who have been playing with three-time KISS member Singer again since 2002 and Thayer since 2004 — were not confident the performance would be up to standard. “Honestly, I don’t want to roll the dice and possibly negatively impact on what I personally have been involved in building for 40 years,” he explains. “I have too much invested at this point. It really is a can of worms that I feel is better off left closed.” Peresman, meanwhile, says the Rock Hall has no plans for a performance stand-in for Kiss at the ceremony. “We have other artists, other inductees showing up and performing when they can,” Peresman says. “We’re very hopeful that Ace and Peter and Paul and Gene come and accept their award. We’re obviously honored to have them inducted.”

Read more at Billboard.

source: billboard.com

NEW YORK’S HISTORIC ROSELAND BALLROOM TO CLOSE IN APRIL

The New York Post reports that after almost a century of history, New York’s Roseland Ballroom will close in April with a run of seven shows by Lady Gaga.

Initially, Roseland was located at 51st Street and Broadway when it opened in 1919. During that period, the 3,200-capacity room was a hot spot for jazz and big-band music. The likes of Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman and Frank Sinatra headlined there multiple times, and ballroom dancing was also a big draw.

Roseland moved to its current 52nd Street location in 1956 and, at first, maintained its reputation for ballroom dancing — as well as being used for ice-skating and operating as a roller rink. But in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Roseland caught up with the times and started to host disco club nights and shows by modern rock, pop, dance and hip-hop acts (everyone from Red Hot Chili Peppers to the Rolling Stones to, last week, Lorde).

The sadness around Roseland Ballroom’s demise — five years short of its centennial, no less — is compounded by confusion. Owner Larry Ginsberg hasn’t made a public statement about what will happen to the site. Meanwhile, music-industry rumors vary from the building being demolished to make way for condos to an all-new Roseland opening in the future.

Whatever happens, the venue has already written itself into New York folklore.

source: nypost.com

KISS AND DEF LEPPARD ANNOUNCE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES

KISS and Def Leppard will team up this summer for a 42-city North American tour that will “deliver good news and excitement,” says KISS guitarist Paul Stanley.

The tour begins June 23rd in West Valley City, Utah, and wraps up August 31st in Woodlands, Texas. Tickets go on sale starting Friday.

The groups announced the tour Monday at the House of Blues in Los Angeles.The press conference was streamed live via the Live Nation website.

Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott says he and Gene Simmons first discussed the idea of the two bands touring together when he and the Kiss bassist played some South American dates two years ago as part of a rock-and-roll all-stars tour. “It’s finally happened, which is fantastic,” Elliott says.

It’ll be the first time the two bands have shared a bill, though Stanley says, “We’ve run into each other at festivals. It just seemed to be a natural fit.” Stanley also noted that one of guitarist Phil Collen’s pre-Def Leppard bands, Girl, opened for KISS in the U.K. during the early ’80s.

KISS did a similar co-headlining tour with Motley Crue in 2012.

KISS released its first albums, 40 years ago, and the band will commemorate the anniversary with a slew of archival releases, including a 34-LP vinyl box set and a two-CD compilation called KISS 40. The group will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame April 10th.

Def Leppard has been writing music for the group’s next album. “We all camped out at my house last month and wrote songs, which you will hear none of this summer,” Elliott says. Collen says he expects that album to come out in 2015.

Simmons says a dollar from each ticket sold on the tour will go to to the Wounded Warrior Project and other military non-profits. Those charitable partners include the USO, Hire a Hero, Project Resiliency/The Raven Drum Foundatio, and The Augusta Warrior Project. “Politicians fart through their mouth,” Simmons says. “Only the military makes freedom possible.”

Stanley adds that the group also plans to hire vets for its crew. “We try to find a couple of vets who want to go out and be part of the team,” he says. “This is a chance for somebody to travel and be part of the KISS Army.”

Elliot says he doesn’t see any rivalry developing between the groups while they’re on tour. “It’s two great bands that are going to be playing for the same amount of time,” he says. “It’s joint forces. I don’t see it as competitive at all.”

KISS/Def Leppard tour dates:

June:

23 – USANA Amphitheater, West Valley City, Utah
25 – Pepsi Center, Denver, Colo.
27 – Sleep Country Amphitheater, Ridgefield, Wash.
29 – White River Amphitheatre, Auburn, Wash.

July:

2 – Concord Pavilion, Concord, Calif.
3 – Sleep Train Amphitheatre, Wheatland, Calif.
5 – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Irvine, Calif.
6 – Sleep Train Amphitheatre, Chula Vista, Calif.
8 – The Forum, Los Angeles, Calif.
9 – Ak-Chin Pavilion, Phoenix, Ariz.
12 – Austin360 Amphitheater, Austin, Texas (on sale March 22nd)
13 – Gexa Energy Pavilion, Dallas, Texas
15 – Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
16 – Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.
18 – Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood, Atlanta, Ga. (on sale March 22nd)
19 – PNC Music Pavilion, Charlotte, N.C.
20 – Walnut Creek Amphitheatre, Raleigh, N.C.
22 – Cruzan Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach, Fla.
23 – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa, Fla.
25 – Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow, Va.
26 – PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, N.J. (on sale March 22nd)

August:

1 – Xfinity Center, Mansfield, Mass.
2 – Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, N.J.
3 – Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, N.J.
5 – Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (on sale March 22nd)
6 – Nikon At Jones Beach Theatre, Wantagh, N.Y. (on sale March 22nd)
8 – Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach, Va. (on sale March 22nd)
9 – Pavilion at Montage Mountain, Scranton, Penn.
10 – Xfinity Theatre, Hartford, Conn.
12 – Molson Canadian Amphitheatre, Toronto, On.
13 – Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Darien, N.Y. (on sale March 22nd)
15 – Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, Wisc.
16 – First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, Tinley Park, Ill.
17 – Target Center, Minneapolis, Minn.
20 – Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Iowa
22 – Klipsch Music Center, Noblesville, Ind.
23 – DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston, Mich. (on sale March 22nd)
24 – First Niagara Pavilion, Burgettstown, Penn. (on sale March 22nd)
26 – Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
28 – Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Maryland Heights, Mo. (on sale March 22nd)
29 – BOK Center, Tulsa, Okla.
31 – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Woodlands, Texas

additional source: usatoday.com