2018 was quite the year for the classic rock world. From longtime band break-ups to a handful of final tour announcements, fans remain interested as ever by the happenings of the music business. As the new year approaches, large scale reunions, wicked collaborations and new album releases have been teased, and we classic rock lovers at KQRS could not be more excited for all that’s to come in 2019.
#5 Van Halen Reunion
Sometimes situations in life we think will never happen, present themselves when we least expect it — that\’s the nature of the rock and roll business! While Van Halen hasn\’t been off our radar for too long, an original line-up that includes founding bassist Michael Anthony hasn\’t happened since 2006. Even the idea of one has seemed far fetched to say the least. However, intel has surfaced from an interview with David Lee Roth in Vulture that a FULL Van Halen reunion tour, with the original band as the stood when they started in 1972, is indeed a possibility for this upcoming year! Apparently all is well between the guys, and that\’s great news, because like the legacy of Van Halen as a whole, Michael Anthony rocks!
#4 New Music from Poison
Poison has proved time and time again that they will never quit rockin\’ for their fans. But it\’s been awhile since they\’ve been in the recording studio all together. On their most recent tour, they seemed to stick with their same old groove. Not that there is anything wrong with that — I am an absolute freak for old school Poison songs — but my curious rock and roll heart does wonder if they could still kill the game with some brand new tunes. According to Newsday and the mouth of Bret Michaels himself, Poison will be working on new music in 2019 and potentially releasing them in 2020 (hopefully with a tour!). If the songs they create are as catchy and lovable as their hits, we have a lot to look forward to.
#3 Ace Frehley and Alice Cooper Tour Collaboration
With the the KISS: The End of the Road tour in full effect, sadness over the band\’s exclusion of founding guitarist Ace Frehely has weighed heavy on crazed KISS fans like me. Though I\’d absolutely die to see Ace reunite for his bandmates for a final close-out, I feel confident that he is going to keep rockin\’ and rollin\’ for his KISS Army fanatics. Ace Frehley is not the type of man to simply bow out; he has been performing live steadily this past year and just released his new album Spaceman. Lately, we\’ve been hearing a lot about him joining Alice Cooper on the road in 2019. The combo would be a perfect fit, and my only hope is that the arrange to stop in Minnesota for a night or two. So far only a few January dates on the West coast have been announced.
#2 Rolling Stones Concert in Minnesota
The Rolling Stones announced their ‘No Filter’ U.S. Stadium Tour tour earlier this year, but the lack of a Minnesota date is a total bummer. Seeing the Stones in concert when they were last here in 2015 at TCF Back Stadium was a dream come true for me. It was one of the funnest, most energetic shows I\’ve ever been to! I sincerely hope they plan to add a date here in the Twin Cities. Lucky for us, Mick Jagger told Rolling Stone that this is in no way a farewell tour, so hopefully we can expect to see more dates added as the tour presses on.
#1 Fleetwood Mac Reunion with Lindsay Buckingham
When Lindsay Buckingham was fired from Fleetwood Mac, my heart broke a little bit. Honesty, I was not that surprised; the band has built their legacy off breaking up with each other, but there was some part of me that thought maybe, just maybe, they could remain at peace to rock out a farewell tour together. I attended Fleetwood Mac live in concert a couple months ago, and although I enjoyed the show and overall vibe of the band with the addition of Mike Campbell especially, there was no denying that that was something missing. Lindsay adds a whole lot of heart to the band, and it would be a shame if they say goodbye to their zillions of fans around the world without him. Given their history, I strongly believe this is not the end of Lindsay Buckingham\’s Fleetwood Mac. They\’ve broken up before, and they\’ll get back together again, hopefully for one last bow.