Dave Mustaine To Perform With San Diego Symphony

This is cool: in April, Dave Mustaine will be the featured guest performer with the San Diego Symphony. The Megadeth frontman will play guitar with the symphony.

With the symphony, Mustaine will perform works by Wagner, Vivaldi and Dvorak. This strikes a chord with me because I did PR for an orchestra a long time ago. I think this is a great example of how orchestras can expand audiences and reach out more to the average music fan. Orchestral music can be intimidating but by inviting a musician like Mustaine to do a guest performance, I guarantee the San Diego Symphony will pick up a few new fans.

I wish I lived near San Diego. I'd definitely attend this show. If you will be in San Diego on April 12, 2014 you might consider getting tickets.

Here's Mustaine talking about how he got hooked up with the San Diego Symphony. He mentions violinist Itzhak Perlman. I met him once, holla!

KISS Are Huge In Japan

KISS walked down the street in Tokyo -- in full regalia, natch -- and caused a bit of a scene. I mean, that's what they were going for of course and I admit I'd be part of the crowd too if I saw KISS randomly roaming around. KISS taped a TV appearance for a Japanese TV show recently and the band played a big sold-out show in Tokyo yesterday. Here's the band making their random street appearance. I must say Tokyo looks awesome. I want to visit that city someday.

Here's some of the sold out concert in Tokyo:

You have to hand it to KISS: they were never the most musically talented, but they were always (and remain) the best at marketing and are superior at creating a great stage spectacle. They deserve to get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Maybe this will finally be their year. Vote for KISS in the Rock Hall fan poll!

Satchel Gives Us A Guitar Lesson

Satchel from Steel Panther gives us a guitar lesson on how to play the riff from his new song "Glory Hole." The song will be on the band's new album All You Can Eat due in early 2014.

Satchel recorded the lesson in the Guitar World studios. I'm not sure why he kept referencing the new album being out when it's not, but whatever. I watched the tutorial and tried to follow along. For the guitar players out there, specifically Christian and/or Ace: is Satchel using the Drop D tuner incorrectly? He was confusing me when he was talking about chords and constantly jumping between drop tuning and standard.

The Pretty Reckless, 'Going To Hell'

The Pretty Reckless just released their video for Going to Hell from the album of the same name. If this is the future of hard rock, I have to say... I dig it. Do you?

Pasta Sauce That Rocks

Presented without commentary... just because. Or, buy online.

Proof That Kotzen Wails

This is simply amazing. Watch Richie Kotzen wail on "Doin' What the Devil Says To Do."

Heck. Yes.

Aerosmith Headed To Theaters

My favorite band is headed to movie theaters! Aerosmith will release Rock for the Rising Sun in theaters around the world. I checked the movie website and there's no release date near me yet, but hopefully soon. Here's all the information:

ORIGINALLY INTENDED AS ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE, A CONCERT FILM THAT PROVIDES A RARE, BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT ONE OF ROCK’S BIGGEST NAMES ON AN AMBITIOUS AND EMOTIONAL INTERNATIONAL TOUR

This fall SpectiCast, in association with Eagle Rock Entertainment, will bring AEROSMITH: ROCK FOR THE RISING SUN, to the big screen in cinemas worldwide. For more information, visit www.aerosmithonscreen.com.

The film, directed by Casey Patrick Tebo, captures Aerosmith at seven different venues during their 2011 tour across Japan. The footage that makes up the film was originally only intended for Aerosmith’s personal archives, but the band and its management found it so captivating that they wanted to make it available to their fans.

In March 2011 Japan was beset by a huge earthquake, a monstrous tsunami, and the subsequent meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear plant. In fall 2011, despite advice to the contrary, Aerosmith brought their “Back On The Road” tour to Japan, a country with which they had always had a special relationship. Fans came out in droves and Aerosmith responded with some of the finest performances of their career. ROCK FOR THE RISING SUN features the classic tracks “Love In An Elevator”, “Livin’ On The Edge”, “Last Child”, “Walk This Way”, “Draw The Line”, “Sweet Emotion”, “Hangman Jury” and many more, with material drawn from shows throughout the tour. Bonuses include extra live tracks “Lick And A Promise” recorded at the Hiroshima Green Garden Arena and “One Way Street” taken from the Tokyo Dome.

This film follows the band on that tour combining full-length live tracks with behind the scenes footage, at times touching and emotional and at others humorous and insightful. “This is more than just a concert caught on film,” says Mark Rupp, Co-Founder and President of SpectiCast, “Because of the backstory behind the tour, ROCK FOR THE RISING SUN is really a fully-fledged motion picture, with a narrative that fans and those new to Aerosmith will become invested in.”

AEROSMITH: ROCK FOR THE RISING SUN will premiere on the SpectiCast network beginning 17 October 2013. For more information, visit www.aerosmithonscreen.com.