Rev Rock Report

'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' and guest Robert Plant during Tuesday’s November 4, 2025 show. (Scott Kowalchyk ©2025 CBS) Robert Plant's appearance on The Late Show Tuesday turned into a surprise J.R.R. Tolkien nerd-fest.In speaking with host Stephen Colbert, the Led Zeppelin icon was asked about living in the same area where the author of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit once resided."Tolkien was a master," Plant began before asking Colbert if […]

The Doobie Brothers perform onstage during the 2025 Backyard Concert supporting Teen Cancer America and the UCLA Health Center at a private residence on October 03, 2025 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for BC) After taking it to the streets, The Doobie Brothers are now taking it to NPR's Tiny Desk.The Doobies crammed into the performance series' famously intimate setup to play a set of classics, including "Takin' It […]

On This Day, Nov. 5, 1971 ...Elton John released his fourth studio album, Madman Across the Water, featuring nine tracks composed and performed by Elton, with lyrics written by his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin.The album featured two future Elton classics, “Tiny Dancer” and “Levon,” although neither were huge hits at the time they were released. In fact, while “Levon” peaked at #24, “Tiny Dancer” failed to make the top 40, […]

2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Joe Cocker (Courtesy of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame) British singer Joe Cocker, who passed away in 2014, is set to be posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday.Known for his soulful voice, Cocker rose to fame starting in the late '60s and is remembered for his iconic performance at the Woodstock festival in 1969.Some of […]

'Bread of Angels' book cover. (Courtesy of Random House) Patti Smith details discovering the identity of her biological father in her new memoir, Bread of Angels.According to People, Smith writes that she "wept" after learning that she and her sister were actually half sisters upon taking a DNA test in 2012."The results of our test put a great strain on my thought processes and for some time, I was unable to write," […]

Steve Lukather of Toto performs at Toyota Pavilion at Concord on August 25, 2025 in Concord, California. (Steve Jennings/Getty Images) Toto has announced a 2026 U.S. tour.The outing, dubbed An Evening with Toto, kicks off Feb. 18 in Milwaukee and wraps up March 13 in New Buffalo, Michigan. It also includes a performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Miami on Feb. 28.A presale begins Wednesday at 10 a.m. local […]

Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top performs on stage at Viejas Casino & Resort on November 02, 2025 in Alpine, California. (Daniel Knighton/Getty Images) ZZ Top's Billy F Gibbons has announced a 2026 U.S. tour.The outing runs from Jan. 20 in Napa, California, to Feb. 28. in Atlanta. For the shows, Gibbons will be joined by his BFG Band, which features Chris "Whipper" Layton of Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble on drums and Mike "The Drifter" […]

Bob Dylan performs as a surprise guest during Farm Aid at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center on September 23, 2023 in Noblesville, Indiana. (Gary Miller/Getty Images) Bob Dylan has been awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the Berklee College of Music in Boston.The distinction recognizes the folk icon's "lifetime of songwriting that changed the sound and scope of modern music.""Thank you, Berklee College of Music, for bestowing on me this prestigious […]

James Taylor performs onstage during The Rainforest Fund 30th Anniversary Benefit Concert Presents 'We'll Be Together Again' at Beacon Theatre on December 09, 2019 in New York City. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Rainforest Fund) James Taylor will be hopping across the pond in 2026.The "Fire and Rain" artist has announced a run of international dates kicking off in July, consisting of four U.K. shows and one in Amsterdam. The outing […]