On Saturday night (January 24), the Eagles played their first concert without guitarist Joe Walsh in over 50 years after the 78-year-old musician contracted the flu and had to miss their show at the Sphere in Las Vegas. “Joe has come down with a bad case of the flu. We had a choice to make. We could either cancel the whole thing, or we could man up and do the show,” singer Don Henley told the crowd. The band held an emergency two-hour rehearsal that afternoon, with Vince Gill and Deacon Frey – son of the band’s late founding member Glenn Frey – covering Walsh’s parts. A spokesperson confirmed Walsh is dealing with a “tough and difficult” flu but “hopes to be back at it soon.” Henley went on to share from the stage, “Joe’s going to be okay. He just needs some time. Give him some love.” No date has been set when Walsh will return to the band. (People)
Director Tamra Davis premiered her documentary, The Best Summer, at Sundance Film Festival on Saturday (January 24), featuring footage from a 1995-96 Australian tour with Sonic Youth, Beastie Boys, Foo Fighters, Beck, and Bikini Kill. Davis shot the 90-minute documentary on Sony Hi8 camcorders during the Summersault festival and Southeast Asian dates. “It was an exhausting tour for me. I remember that a lot, but it was one of the most fun tours ever,” said Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon. Davis, who previously directed Billy Madison and was married to Beastie Boys’ Mike D, originally intended the footage to serve as tour mementos. The tapes sat in boxes for decades until Davis retrieved them while evacuating her Malibu home during the recent L.A. fires. Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna helped conduct interviews with musicians, and noted, “There’s a self-consciousness that we didn’t have to have, because we weren’t constantly on camera.” The film also captures Hanna falling in love with Beastie Boys’ Adam Horovitz, whom she married in 2006. (Variety)
On Monday (January 26), Alice Cooper announced the dates and details of his “Alice’s Attic” spring 2026 US tour, featuring the same production from his recent co-headlining shows with Judas Priest. The 18-date trek begins April 14 in San Antonio, Texas, and concludes May 9 in Camden, New Jersey, with stops including Topeka, Kansas; Columbus, Ohio; Spartanburg, South Carolina; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Live Nation pre-sales start Wednesday (January 28), with a general on-sale beginning Friday (Jan. 30). The 77-year-old shock rock legend will also appear at Welcome to Rockville festival May 7 in Daytona Beach, Florida. “Touring for me is just part of life,” Cooper told the Rock & Roll High School podcast. “I’ve been touring since I was 16 years old. I’m 77 now, and I think I’m doing my best shows now.” Cooper will also perform “Welcome to Our Nightmare” shows with magician Criss Angel in Las Vegas before and after the tour. (Consequence of Sound)