Are you ready to learn some stuff? It’s April 12th and here’s what happened Today in Rock History!
Starting it off with birthdays and they include Rob Baker of The Tragically Hip, Nick Hexum of 311, Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco, and Art Alexakis of Everclear
But more importantly, it’s Tiny Tim’s birthday. Who’s Tiny Tim? Well for you Millennials and Gen Z folks out there, you may know him and his music from this:
Moving onto releases, we have quite a few: Live Through This from Hole in 1994, Save Rock and Roll by Fall Out Boy in 2013, Rush’s Grace Under Pressure in 1984, Live Bullet from Bob Seger in 1976 and Murmur by R.E.M. in 1983!
We also got Bruce Springsteen’s Unplugged album in 1993, Weird Al’s Even Worse in 1988, Wasting Light from the Foo Fighters in 2011!
Speaking of the Foo Fighters, in 1995, the band began their first tour as a band, a club tour opening for Mike Watt, whom Foo leader Dave Grohl was drumming for at the time.
In 1977, while playing a gig at The Rathskeller in Boston, The Damned receive a very tepid reaction from the crowd during their first set. Due to the reception, the band returns to start their second set by sitting and eating pizza, telling the audience: “We can sit on our asses just like you.”
In 1975 during an interview with Playboy magazine, David Bowie announced his retirement at the age of 28…. for a second time. It didn’t last very long, as he returned to the studio in November of that year and became the Thin White Duke.
Metallica filed their copyright infringement lawsuit against Napster on this day in 2000.
And finally, in 1968, Frank Zappa performed at a dinner for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (the people that run the Grammy Awards). Zappa, not afraid to speak his mind, called the event “a load of pompous hokum.” He’d continue by telling the audience, “All year long you people have manufactured this crap, now for one night you’re gonna have to listen to it!”
This has been Today in Rock History! Keep on Rocking, keep on Rolling! Check back tomorrow for your next rock history lesson!
