Did you know the Ronnie James Dio hologram is getting ready to tour? That story and more on this week’s On the Radar.
Linkin Park and Talinda Bennington release statements on Chester Bennington
Since the tragic death of Chester Bennington, the band and his family have been mostly quiet. They broke silence last week when they released statements regarding the situation.
The band released an emotional statement saying “You touched so many lives, maybe even more than you realized. In the past few days, we’ve seen an outpouring of love and support, both public and private, from around the world. Talinda and the family appreciate it, and want the world to know that you were the best husband, son, and father; the family will never be whole without you.” Read the entire statement here.
Days later Bennington’s wife, Talinda, released her own statement. She says “One week ago, I lost my soulmate and my children lost their hero – their Daddy. We had a fairytale life and now it has turned into some sick Shakespearean tragedy. How do I move on? How do I pick up my shattered soul? The only answer I know is to raise our babies with every ounce of love I have left. I want to let my community and the fans worldwide know that we feel your love. We feel your loss as well. My babies are so young to have lost their daddy. And I know that all of you will help keep his memory alive.” Read the rest of her statement here.
Bennington passed away last Thursday (July 20) from suicide by hanging. His unique voice and his passionate lyrics will truly be missed.
Kendrick Lamar leads 2017 MTV VMA nominations
It’s that time of year again. Last week nominations for the 2017 MTV VMAs were revealed and Kendrick Lamar is leader of the pack. The rapper scored eight nominations, including Artist of the Year, Video of the Year, Best Hip Hop Video, and Best Direction for “Humble.” Going up against him for Artist of the Year is Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, and Lorde.
Other artists with numerous nominations under their belts are the Weeknd and Katy Perry who both scored five. Khalid, Kodak Black, SZA, Young M.A, Julia Michael and Noah Cyrus are all nominated for Best New Artist. This year the VMAs are introducing a new category, Best Video with a Social Message. Nominations are Logic’s “Black Spiderman,” The Hamilton Mixtapes’ “Immigrants (
This year the VMAs are introducing a new category, Best Video with a Social Message. Nominations are Logic’s “Black Spiderman,” The Hamilton Mixtapes’ “Immigrants (We Get the Job Done),” Big Sean’s “Light,” Alessia Cara’s “Scars to Your Beautiful,” Taboo’s “Stand Up/Stand N Rock #No DAPL,” and John Legend’s “Surefire.” Check out all the nominees here. Cast your vote here.
The VMAs airs live on MTV August 27.
Ronnie James Dio hologram heads out on European tour
The Ronnie James Dio hologram is about to head out on tour. No, that’s not a joke. The hologram made its debut at last year’s Wacken Festival in Germany. Now, “Dio” hits the stage again on a new world tour, with musicians backing him up. The “Dio Returns” tour kicks off with a European trek on November 30 in Helsinki. After that, it’ll travel to South America, Australia, and Asia. Dio comes to the US in spring 2018.
Wendy Dio believes this will be a great chance to see Dio again, despite how creepy it sounds. “With this said, I am sure he is giving us his blessing with this hologram project. It gives the fans that saw Ronnie perform an opportunity to see him again and new fans that never got to see him a chance to see him for the first time. We hope everyone will enjoy the show that we have all worked so hard to put together.”
No matter how you try to spin it, watching an unnatural Dio hologram walk around the stage is unnerving.
Upcoming Shows
One of the biggest festivals of the year Lollapalooza is happening this weekend. With headliners including Muse, Blink-182, The Killers, and Chance the Rapper you don’t want to miss this event. We will Live Stream Lollapalooza right here on our site provided by Chicago Music and Red Bull Tv.
Sister act Tegan and Sara hits the stage at Park West on the Frenship tour on August 3. Find tickets here.
Can’t make it to Lollapalooza? Hit up one of the many Lollapalooza afterparties around the city. Catch sets from Royal Blood, The Shins, Blink-182 at the Metro, Crystal Castles, Liam Gallagher, PUP, Phantogram, and more. Check out the complete list of after party shows here.
Rod Stewart and Cyndi Lauper play the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Tinley Park on August 5. Make sure you have tickets.
Chicago Artist Spotlight: Company of Thieves
Chicago indie rockers Company of Thieves are back from a six-year absence with new music and a reunion tour. Though they received mass praise from critics and fans alike, the band went on a hiatus three years ago. At the time they only released two albums: 2009’s Ordinary Riches and 2011’s Running from a Gamble.
Now the band is back and unleashed their new single, “Treasure,” last week. We can only guess the song will appear on a new album. So far, the band hasn’t said anything about a full-length record. Luckily, they will be heading out on tour starting September 12 in Indianapolis running until September 30 in Los Angeles. The band will play a hometown show September 22 at the House of Blues. Make sure to grab tickets while you still can.