Today in rock history: On this date in 1995, The Grateful Dead performed its last show with original lead singer, founder and guitarist, Jerry Garcia. The concert took place at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois and was the second performance of a two-night stand the band held at the large stadium that also marked the end of the tour the Dead were currently on. Garcia would sadly pass away one month to the date after this performance. Listen to the show below.
Today in rock history: On this date in 1975, Jack Anthony Gillis, better known as Jack White, was born in Detroit, Michigan. After playing with a variety of Detroit bands as a drummer, Jack formed the two-piece garage-rock band White Stripes with his one-time wife Meg (although the two posed as brother and sister as the band started to gain critical attention). White remained busy with other projects and eventually formed two other bands he’d play with, The Raconteurs and Dead Weather. As a solo artist, White has released three solo albums, all of which have gone to No. 1 on Billboard’s pop albums chart in the United States. White is also an entrepreneur who runs his own record label, Third Man Records. Read our review of his latest solo outing here.
A WEEK IN THE BOARDING HOUSE
Jack White’s new album is brave, bewildering and devastatingly refreshing — listen
Today in rock history: On this date in 2001, New York City art punk band The Yeah Yeah Yeahs released its very first EP. The five-song record was released independently on the band’s label and became a huge success in Great Britain, where it went all the way to No. 1 on the country’s independent releases chart. The EP created a major buzz for the band and, most notably, for its energetic, charismatic lead singer, Karen O. Drawing rave reviews both for its raw sound and dynamic live performances, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs would release an album on a major label, 2003’s Fever to Tell, two years after this initial release.
Today in rock history: On this date in 1959, Jim Kerr, lead singer of long-time Scottish rock band Simple Minds, was born in Glasgow, Scotland. Starting out in the late 1970s with short-lived punk rock outfit Johnny and the Self Abusers (which released one highly sought-after 7-inch single), that band eventually morphed into Simple Minds; a band whose name derives from a lyric in David Bowie’s 1972 glam rock classic, “Jean Genie.” Experimenting with a variety of styles and sounds throughout its long tenure, Simple Minds has delved into post punk, electronica, pop and anthemic stadium rock. The band became the most successful Scottish band of the 1980s and landed an impressive five No. 1 albums in England throughout its formation. Best known for its 1985 smash hit “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” Kerr and Simple Minds are still going strong and have released one of the strongest albums in the band's catalog, Walk Between Worlds, which was released in February. Simple Minds is playing St. Petersburg's Mahaffey Theater on November 9 — details on the show are available here.
