#WhatsHappening for June 26, 2017

Good Saturday morning, kiddios.  (Whatever, you aren't paying for this content!) Hey kids, welcome to Monday. Another week of toil, and then fireworks.
Just so you know, though, while the state of Georgia has made some fireworks legal for purchase in Georgia, there are still some limits, too. 
Bottle rockets, firecrackers, Roman candles and other fireworks are available for sale in-state, but you must be 18 years old or or older in order to buy them, and no one under 16 may hold or use fireworks.
Georgia law also states that fireworks may only be used between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. on most nights- except on New Year's Eve and the Fourth of July, when the cutoff is extended to 1 a.m on New Year's and midnight on the Fourth of July (so fuck you if you're trying to sleep). Local governments may also extend those hours.
I'll have more next time.

The long-awaited deluxe edition of Purple Rain was released this week. If you're in the market- go for the MP3 edition- 35 songs of Purple pageantry. Pretty awesome.

The name John Walmsley may not immediately be recognizable to you, but you might remember him as John Walton from The Waltons. (Of course, if you do, you might be as old as me- or older.)

Walmsley's role on the show might lead you to believe he's a bluegrass fan, but he's out to dispel that idea with his new album- the blues-inspired Goin’ To Clarksdale.

"I would say that (the sound) is new to my audience- The Waltons fans- but it’s actually the music that inspired me to play when I was a kid. I remember listening to early rock n' roll first, and I started playing guitar at age eight. I didn’t realize until I was about 13 that the thing I loved about early rock n' roll was the bluesy elements. As Muddy Waters once said- and it’s a song title– 'The Blues Had A Baby And They Named It Rock and Roll.’ That was the thing. I loved Elvis when I was a little kid, and I was singing the blues- 'That’s All Right Mama’ and ‘Hound Dog.’ I covered ‘Hound Dog’ on the new CD, but it’s not Elvis’ version or Big Mama Thornton’s version, it’s something I came up with– something very swampy."

The star-studded fundraising recording of Bridge Over Troubled Water has vaulted to the top of the UK singles chart after less than two full days of sales.

The remake of Simon & Garfunkel's classic was recorded in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire in London. The fast rise makes it the UK's fastest-selling single of the decade. The song- featuring Robbie Williams, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, Emeli Sandé, and Nile Rodgers- sold 170,000 units from its 8 a.m. release Wednesday to midnight Thursday night.

Dear Billboard- 

Was this really the best you could do for a headlines?

This Week's Gay Agenda: Marina & The Diamonds, Cyndi Lauper and a French Adult Film Star

Listening to the 80s channel on satellite radio on the way home this evening, and host Mark Goodman was talking about a group of folks who'd gotten together to talk about "the most important American band." (I'm guessing they meant US.)
Their conclusion? Van Halen.
For real.
Look, no disrespect to whatever the current lineup of the band is, but "most important"?
Let me just toss out some names that weren't named:
The Eagles. Just on numbers alone. They're top-selling US band of the rock era, outselling Van Halen by more than 40 million units.
Prince and any of his bands. Bad-ass.
Bill Haley & His Comets. The first rock and roll band to ever top the Billboard Hot 100.
The E-Street Band. Yes, Bruce gets all the press, but the E-Street band has been the backbone of the vast majority of his catalog and his tours.
The Beach Boys. Brian Wilson said Pet Sounds was the Boys' answer to The Beatles' Rubber Soul. John, Paul, George, and Ringo felt compelled to answer with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. According to producer Sir George Martin, "...Pepper was an attempt to equal Pet Sounds." So The Beach Boys are, in a roundabout way, responsible for two of the greatest albums of the rock era.
Earth, Wind & Fire. R&B at it's best.
The Doors.
Nirvana.
The Band.
The Grateful Dead.
R.E.M. (Who'd definitely win "most self-important".)
Talking Heads.
Blondie.
The Allman Brothers Band.
Red Hot Chili Peppers.
I'm just sayin'.

Birthdays today include: Ariana Grande (24); Gretchen Wilson (44); Colin Greenwood of Radiohead (49); Mark Decloedt of EMF (50); Terri Nunn of Berlin (56); Patty Smyth (60); Chris Isaak (61); Mick Jones of The Clash (62); and Billy Davis, Jr. of Fifth Dimension (77). #MusicalBirthdays