NewsBLITZ: STAND BY IRANIANS WITH JON BON JOVI & RICHIE SAMBORA

Bon Jovi's Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora have teamed up with Iranian singer Andy Madadian, legendary musician/producer Don Was and others on a cover of the classic Ben E. King song "Stand By Me" as a "musical message of worldwide solidarity with the people of Iran."

The song, recorded in Hollywood on June 24, 2009, features stanzas in both English and Farsi.

"[The song] is not for sale," explains Was. "It wasn't intended to be on the Billboard charts, wasn't meant to be a hit record or even pressed on a CD. It's intended to be downloaded and shared by the Iranian people. The whole idea was to get it into Iran and tell them...to carry on, that the world is watching and we're with you."

The video for the song, filmed in the recording studio, is below and can also be found on MyDamnChannel.com.

TV ALERT: BRYAN ADAMS & JASON ALDEAN ON "CMT CROSSROADS"

Show: CMT Crossroads (with Bryan Adams and Jason Aldean)
Premiere Date: Friday, June 26, at 9PM
Channel: CMT

The popular series CMT Crossroads—which unites a country artist with one from a different genre of music (past episodes featured Def Leppard rocking with Taylor Swift and Bon Jovi grooving with Sugarland)—has come up with another exciting pairing: Pop rocker Bryan Adams and country singer Jason Aldean! Watch as the duo team up on Adams hits like "Summer Of '69," "Run To You" and "Heaven" (see clip below) and Aldean tunes like "She's Country" and "Hicktown." Bryan and Jason will also swap amusing stories and discuss their love of music.

Bryan Adams and Jason Aldean performing "Heaven":

Bryan Adams More CMT Music More CMT Music Videos

For more information about CMT Crossroads and additional air times for this episode, visit CMT.com.

NewsBLITZ: TWISTED SISTER TO SIGN COPIES OF "STAY HUNGRY" IN NEW YORK!

Can you believe that it's been 25 years since Twisted Sister first brought classics like "We're Not Gonna Take It," "I Wann Rock" and "The Price" to the masses? Now, the breakthrough album featuring those tunes, Stay Hungry, is being re-released and the New York-based band has planned two hometown celebrations to honor the record!

On Tuesday, June 30, Dee Snider, Jay Jay French, Eddie Ojeda, Mark Mendoza and A.J. Pero will first stop at J&R Music World's Lower Manhattan location at 12:30PM to sign copies of Stay Hungry. Additionally, Broadway star Constantine Maroulis (who performs "I Wanna Rock" in the musical Rock Of Ages) will be on hand to present the five members of Twisted Sister with gold plaques for their single "We're Not Gonna Take It." For more information on this event, visit Jr.com/information/liveEvents.jsp.

That night, at 7:30 PM, Twisted Sister will make their second appearance of the day at Looney Tunes in West Babylon, Long Island. Details about this meet-n-greet can be found at LooneyTunesCDs.com.

Twisted Sister circa 1984

NewsBLITZ: ROB THOMAS TO TOUR IN SUPPORT OF "CRADLESONG"

This fall, singer Rob Thomas will celebrate new album Cradlesong (out June 30) with a 2-month North American tour! The jaunt—featuring opening acts One Republic and Carolina Liar—will kick off September 23 in Hollywood, Florida, and end with a multi-night stand at New York City's Beacon Theater beginning November 11. This is only the second full-fledged solo tour for the man who usually fronts the group Matchbox Twenty.


Cities Rob Thomas will be performing in this fall are as follows:
Sept. 23: Hollywood, FL
Sept. 25: Orlando, FL
Sept. 26: Clearwater, FL
Sept. 28: Raleigh, NC
Sept. 29: Charlotte, SC
Sept. 30: Atlanta, GA
Oct. 4: Houston, TX

Oct. 5: Grand Prairie, TX

Oct. 7: Oklahoma City, OK

Oct. 9: Council Bluffs, IA

Oct. 10: Milwaukee, WI

Oct. 11: St Paul, MN

Oct. 14: Vancouver, BC

Oct. 15: Seattle, WA

Oct. 17: Reno, NV

Oct. 18: San Francisco, CA

Oct. 20: Los Angeles, CA

Oct. 21: San Diego, CA

Oct. 23: Temecula, CA

Oct. 24: Las Vegas, NV

Oct. 25: Tucson, AZ

Oct. 27: Denver, CO

Oct. 29: Kansas City, KS

Oct. 30: Hammond, IN

Oct. 31: St Louis, MO

Nov. 2: Detroit, MI

Nov. 4: Toronto, ONT

Nov: 6: Atlantic City, NJ

Nov. 7: Uncasville, CT

Nov. 9: Boston, MA

Nov. 10: Washington, DC

Nov. 11, 12 & 13: New York City, NY

For more information on Rob and his tour, visit RobThomasMusic.com.

NewsBLITZ: SLIPKNOT/ANTHRAX/BLACK DAHLIA MURDER ANNOUNCE TOUR

To mark the 10-year anniversary of Slipknot's landmark self-titled debut, the band is launching a 2-week tour later this summer with Anthrax and Black Dahlia Murder serving as support acts.

The tour dates are as follows:

Aug. 22: White River Amphitheater—Seattle, WA

Aug. 23: Toyota Center—Kennewick, WA

Aug. 24: Four Seasons Arena—Great Falls, MT

Aug. 26: Metra Park Arena—Billings, MT

Aug. 28: Quest Arena—Boise, ID

Aug. 29: The E Center—Salt Lake City, UT

Aug. 31: Colorado Springs World Arena—Colorado Springs, CO

Sept. 1: Casper Events Center—Casper, WY

Sept. 3: Fargodome—Fargo, ND

Sept. 4: Mayo Civic Center—Rochester, MN

Sept. 5: Eagles Ballroom—Milwaukee, WI

For more on Slipknot, visit the band's official website by clicking here.

NewsBLITZ: FREE MUSIC FROM 13TH PLANET RECORDS

Who wants some free music?

Now, thanks to Al Jourgensen's 13th Planet Records and VampireFreaks.com, you can download a free digital EP featuring unreleased songs, remixes and videos from Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Prong, False Icons, Stayte and Ascension Of The Watchers.

Click here for your free music!

NewsBLITZ: THE BLACK CROWES NEW ALBUM(S) + TOUR!

The Black Crowes are gearing up to release two new studio albums and launch a new tour to support it!

The first new record, Before The Frost..., comes out Sept. 1 via Silver Arrow/Megaforce. Inside each album, buyers will find a unique download code to obtain a free copy of the Crowes' second effort, ...Until The Freeze. Both albums were recorded over five nights at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, N.Y, in front of an intimate audience comprised of the band's fans, making them a part of the albums.

Fans not in attendance at the special recordings, will have the chance to see The Black Crowes—Chris Robinson (vocals), Rich Robinson (guitar/vocals), Steve Gorman (drums), Sven Pipien (bass), Adam MacDougall (keyboards) and Luther Dickinson (guitar)—on their 2009 Stuck Inside Utopia Tour beginning Aug. 25. Concertgoers can expect a two-hour-plus performance of music culled from all of the Crowes' releases.

Dates for The Black Crowes' 2009 Stuck Inside Utopia Tour are as follows:
Aug. 25: Wolf Trap/The Filene Center—Vienna, VA
Aug. 26: Cape Cod Melody Tent—Hyannis, MA
Aug. 27: Bank of America Pavilion—Boston, MA
Aug. 29: Borgata Event Center—Atlantic City, NJ
Aug. 30: Ram's Head Live—Baltimore, MD
Aug. 31: American Music Theatre—Lancaster, PA
Sept. 2: Rumsey Playfield @ Central Park Summerstage—New York, NY
Sept. 4: Theatre at Westbury—Westbury, NY
Sept. 5: Stone Pony Summerstage—Asbury Park, NJ
Sept. 6: American Music Festival—Virginia Beach, VA
Sept. 8: The Klein—Bridgeport, CT
Sept. 9: Penn's Peak—Jim Thorpe, PA
Sept. 11: Saranac Brewery—Utica, NY
Sept. 12: Casino Rama—Rama, Ontario
Sept. 13: Centennial Hall—London, Ontario
Sept. 16: Lupo's—Providence, RI
Sept. 17: Higher Ground—Burlington, VT
Sept. 18: Ulster Performing Arts Center—Kingston, NY
Sept. 24: Oklahoma State Fair—Oklahoma City, OK
Sept. 25: Big Spring Jam—Huntsville, AL
Sept. 26: Ryman Auditorium—Nashville, TN
Sept. 28: The Lyric—Oxford, MS
Sept. 29: Tennessee Theatre—Knoxville, TN
Sept. 30: The Fillmore—Charlotte, NC
Oct. 2: Thomas Wolfe Auditorium—Asheville, NC
Oct. 3: Chastain Park Amphitheatre—Atlanta, GA

"The Black Crowes fearlessly continue to search for the self made utopian ideals that makes rock 'n' roll music the last true real American adventure."
—Chris Robinson

For more information, go to The Black Crowes official website.

NewsBLITZ: AEROSMITH'S BRAD WHITFORD SITS OUT TOUR

When Aerosmith launch their tour with special guests ZZ Top on June 10 in St. Louis, the band will be hitting the stage minus one member—guitarist Brad Whitford. The 57-year-old is taking time off to recuperate from a recent, undisclosed surgery. Guitarist Bobby Schneck—who has played with Green Day and Weezer—will fill in for Whitford on the tour, which ends in Detroit on Sept. 16. In a press release, Aerosmith's Whitford, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer say that they "regret any inconvenience to their fans and thank everyone for their support."

TV ALERT: Z ROCK'S SECOND SEASON PREMIERE

Show: Z Rock
Premiere Date: Sunday, June 7, at 11PM
Channel: IFC

The second season of the rock 'n' roll comedy Z Rock kicks off Sunday night. The series follows Brooklyn musicians Paulie Z, David Z and Joey Cassata during the days as kids' party band Z Brothers and during the nights as rock outfit ZO2.

Look out for special appearances this season from the likes of Joan Rivers, Hall & Oates' Daryl Hall, Jane's Addiction's Dave Navarro, Blues Traveler's John Popper, The Ramones' Marky Ramone, Constantine Maroulis, Twisted Sister's Dee Snider and J.J. French, Frank Stallone, The Real Housewives Of New York's Bethenny Frankel, Howard Stern Show producer Gary Dell'Abate and That Metal Show's Eddie Trunk.

Here's a sneak preview of Z Rock:

NewsBLITZ: RATT & EXTREME TOUR TOGETHER!

Hard rockers Ratt and Extreme are teaming up this summer for their first ever tour together!

Ratt, who will close the shows, will be playing their popular album Out Of The Cellar—featuring hits like "Round & Round," "Wanted Man" and "Lack Of Communication"—in its entirety on the tour to mark the record's 25th anniversary. The band is currently in the process of recording a brand new disc that they plan on releasing in the fall via Loud & Proud/Roadrunner Records.

Extreme's latest release, Saudades de Rock, came out in 2008. The band behind such songs as "Hole Hearted" and "Rest In Peace" have recently had their 1990 No. 1 hit "More Than Words" featured in blockbuster movies Forgetting Sarah Marshall and The Love Guru. Additionally, young rock fans are being exposed to the music of Extreme via Guitar Hero's inclusion of the group's song "Play With Me" on the video game.

Drummer Bobby Blotzer of Ratt is stoked about having two amazing guitarists on the same bill. "[Ratt's] Warren DeMartini and [Extreme's] Nuno Bettencourt on [the] same stage, same night? 'Nuff said! We'll see you there," he exclaims.


The Ratt/Extreme tour dates are as follows:
July 12: Midnight Rodeo—Amarillo, TX
July 13: Scout Bar—San Antonio,TX
July 14: Dos Amigos—Odessa, TX
July 16: Marquee Theater—Tempe, AZ
July 17: Wiltern Theater—Los Angeles, CA
July 18: Hard Rock—Las Vegas, NV
July 19: House Of Blues—Anaheim, CA
July 22: Ogden Theater—Denver, CO
July 23: Crossroads—Kansas City, MO
July 24: House Of Blues—Chicago, IL
July 26: Ches-a-rena—Cheswick, PA
July 28: Nokia Theater—New York City, NY
July 30: The Capital One Bank Theatre @ Westbury—Westbury, NY
Aug. 2: Crock Rock Festival—Allentown, PA
Aug. 6: Starland Ballroom—Sayerville, NJ
Aug. 7: Hampton Beach Casino—Hampton Beach, NH

TV ALERT—IRON MAIDEN: FLIGHT 666 DOC ON VH1

Show: Iron Maiden: Flight 666
Premiere Dates: Saturday, June 6, at 9PM on VH1 Classic
and Palladia; 12AM on VH1


The documentary Iron Maiden: Flight 666 premieres this
Saturday night, June 6, on VH1 Classic, Palladia and
VH1. The film centers around the first leg of the
legendary heavy metal band’s 2008 Somewhere Back In
Time World Tour, which had them play 23 sold-out
shows on five continents in just 45 days. And how
did they travel around the world for this tour? On
a customized Boeing 757—Ed Force One—piloted by
lead singer Bruce Dickinson!

"Having what is basically a flying 'splitter bus'
with all our gear and crew on board allowed us to
undertake a touring schedule the likes of which has
never been attempted before," says frontman/Astraeus
Airline Captain Dickinson. "By being independent of
flight and freight connections and schedules, we could
literally go where we wanted when we wanted. And so
we did. It was quite a journey—exhausting at times
with jet lag taking its toll—but our fans everywhere
were magnificent which made all the effort and planning
and time well worthwhile. It really was a unique
experience until, that is, we did it again earlier this
year!"

Iron Maiden: Flight 666 chronicles the rigorous tour life
of a classic band, capturing behind-the-scenes footage
from both on and off the stage. The film won the SXSW
Festival Award for Best Music Documentary.

John McMurtrie/Iron Maiden Holdings Ltd.

NewsBLITZ: PAUL MCCARTNEY TO ROCK CITI FIELD!

Music icon Paul McCartney will be the first artist to play a full-length concert at the recently-opened Citi Field in Flushing, New York.

Photo By Kevin Mazur

The home of the New York Mets will be transformed into a concert venue on Friday, July 17, and Saturday, July 18, for the legendary Beatle. McCartney first played Flushing at the Mets' old home, Shea Stadium, with The Beatles back on Aug. 15, 1965 to more than 55,000 fans, marking the first time a sporting arena was used for a concert. Last summer, he appeared as a special guest during Billy Joel's farewell concerts to Shea.

"I am really excited about playing Citi Field," says Sir Paiul, who promises to perform all the hits from his extensive catalog (including Beatles, Wings and solo tunes). "The Beatles were the first to play at Shea Stadium and, along with Billy Joel, I was the last to sing at the old Shea. So to be the first to play this stadium is incredible. I am really looking forward to a buzzing show."

"There's no more appropriate artist in the history of rock 'n' roll to play the first concert at Citi Field," says New York Mets COO Jeff Wilpon. "The era of big-time rock 'n' roll concerts started with Paul and The Beatles at Shea and we're thrilled to continue that tradition at our new home."

Tickets for this historic events go on sale Monday, June 15, at 10AM online at 507TIXX.com and by phone at 718-507-TIXX.