Tool's Adam Jones Can't Do Without His Gibson Les PaulTool guitarist Adam Jones told us about his love for his '79 Les Paul.

Adam Jones: It's complex because I'm very picky about what I use. I use multiple amps. I have a couple of different guitars that have different tones. I definitely have my pedals that I use. I guess my guitar is especially a piece of me. I have a '79 Gibson Les Paul Custom Silverburst.

The tone it has throughanalog equipment is incredible. I think fast and easy and convenient is kind of the way everyone goes and I do it myself. I'm a victim of it. But there's so much digital equipment out there and people just plug in any guitar and then, 'Oh, well, you can make it sound good. You don't need to be fussy about other stuff.'

But to me, that doesn't sound good. It's the same sound. It just sounds weak and farty. I could go off about equipment for hours. But yeah, my guitar. I mean, I could pick up any guitar and jam with people. But, you know, when I actually play our Tool songs, I just I love my weighted guitars.

Tool performs on Wednesday, February 14 and Thursday, February 15 at the Crypto.com Arena.

(Photo by Travis Shinn)

The Lion King at Segerstrom Center for the ArtsFor more than 20 years, the North American touring productions of The Lion King have beenseen by over 21 million theatergoers. Having already played more than 9,000 performances inover 90 cities across North America, The Lion King now returns to Costa Mesa, CA at theSegerstrom Center for the Arts.

The production features Peter Hargrave as “Scar,” Gerald Ramsey as “Mufasa,” Mukelisiwe Goba as “Rafiki,” Nick Cordileone as “Timon,” Nick LaMedica as “Zazu,” John E. Brady as “Pumbaa,” Darian Sanders as “Simba,” Khalifa White as “Nala,” Forest VanDyke as “Banzai,” Martina Sykes as “Shenzi” and Robbie Swift as “Ed,” with “Young Simba” alternating between Mason Lawson and Julian Villela and the role of “Young Nala” alternates between Jaxyn Damasco and Aniya Simone.

Photo-by-Matthew-Murphy

Now spanning three decades since the original 1994 animated film, the legacy of The Lion King--story, music, performances, adaptations--transcends generations. What is so unique to experiencing the Lion King musical live and in-person, is that the audience is transported to the Sahara and Pride Rock through the scale of its sets, beauty and artisanship in the costumes, and especially the authenticity of the African inspiration with additions of traditional songs chanted in Swahili.

From Rafiki's opening call to usher in "The Circle of Life," the theater welcomes the animals: puppeteered gazelles, antelopes, flying birds, stilt-driven giraffes and the multi-manned (though the cast is largely balanced and diverse) elephants, all entering from every aisle to see the presentation of protagonist Simba. If lucky enough, try to select a seat near an aisle to fully appreciate the details of the animal characters who will sing and interact as they make their way to and from the stage. The humanity under the masks is what keeps The Lion King compelling and timeless.

Photo-by-Deen-van-Meer

Photo-by-Joan-Marcus

In Costa Mesa, The Lion King will play Tuesdays through Fridays at 7:30 PM, Saturdays at2:00 PM and 7:30 PM, and Sundays at 1:00 PM and 6:30 PM.

Tickets are available at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts Box Office, by calling (714) 556-2787 Monday-Friday 10 AM to 5 PM, or at SCFTA.org.

Photo-by-Matthew-Murphy

Spotify’s spat with Apple, its new deal with Joe Rogan and further cost-cutting: 3 things we learned on the company’s latest earnings callSpotify would be experimenting with a variety of payment models, were it not for the Apple Store’s so-called “app tax,” Spotify co-founder and CEO Daniel Ek said on the company’s latest earnings call. Asked whether Spotify was looking to move beyond its “all-you-can-eat” pricing model – i.e., a monthly flat fee for access to the … Continued
Source

Four big music takeaways from Spotify’s Q4 earnings callWhile Spotify’s Q4 earnings call focused more on podcasts, audiobooks, and bottom-line numbers than music, there were still some critical music-related takeaways. MORE: Spotify passes 602 Million Monthly Active Users. Continue reading
The post Four big music takeaways from Spotify’s Q4 earnings call appeared first on Hypebot.

The music sync industry is headed for an iceberg. It needs an upgrade.Sync veteran Tom Stingemore on why his industry is operating inefficiently and needs to change
Source

Spotify passes 602 Million Monthly Active UsersSpotify added 28 million Monthly Active Users (MAUs), including 10 million paid users, in the last three months, the second-largest-ever Q4 gain. Spotify stock was up as much as 7%. Continue reading
The post Spotify passes 602 Million Monthly Active Users appeared first on Hypebot.

Luminate acquires Artist ID database QuansicMusic and entertainment data provider Luminate, whose clients include Billboard and its popular Charts, has acquired Quansic, a global music artist identification service. France-based Quansic says it has the world’s. Continue reading
The post Luminate acquires Artist ID database Quansic appeared first on Hypebot.

Unveiling the Newest Members of the SLX-D Family: Portable EditionSLX-D is thrilled to introduce their newest addition, the SLX-D Portable Digital Wireless Systems! Designed specifically for videographers and location sound mixers, the SLXD5 Single-Channel Receiver and SLXD3 Plug-On Transmitter deliver amazing audio quality, rock-solid RF, and workflow efficiency. Whether you're in Film, Videography, Location Sound, or ENG markets, you can adapt SLX-D to your unique needs.

Product Overview

SLXD5 Single-Channel Portable Receiver for Camera-Mounted and Audio Bag Applications

SLXD3 Plug-On Transmitter converts any XLR source for wireless use

High quality sound. 24-bit digital audio with >118 dB dynamic range

Fast set up. Sync your receiver and transmitter with one push of a button

Power options. Use AA batteries or the rechargeable Shure SB903

Adaptability. SLX-D handheld and bodypack transmitters also compatible with SLXD5

Scalable. Multi-Mic Mode enables you to monitor and manage complex multi-channel configurations

Wireless Workbench 7 compatible

LEARN MORE

Beggars Group, Secretly, Partisan Records among indie labels pushing back against Apple Music’s higher payouts for Spatial Audio (report)"The new deal will badly impact our revenues," an indie record label executive says
Source

‘The best music managers wear 65 hats and are experts in all of them.’Blaike Ford discusses her time at Spotify when the streaming giant was a start-up and her self-defined role at Range Media Partners where she is looking to make a similarly seismic impact
Source

New Apple royalties favor Majors at the expense of independent artists, say indie labelsindendent labels and artists are upset by what they say is the unfair advantage that Apple Music gave major record labels with its recent 10% increase in royalty payments for. Continue reading
The post New Apple royalties favor Majors at the expense of independent artists, say indie labels appeared first on Hypebot.

Is Threads dead? No, say 130 million active usersThreads launched with a bang. Thirty million signups in its first 24 hours, then 100 million in less than a month, and then an apparent falloff in user interest. Did. Continue reading
The post Is Threads dead? No, say 130 million active users appeared first on Hypebot.

The key to Booking Better Gigs is… APPLESThis apple analogy from Chris Robley of the Reverbnation blog may be the best tip that performing musicians get all year to help them book bigger and better shows. by. Continue reading
The post The key to Booking Better Gigs is… APPLES appeared first on Hypebot.

The Time Cheap Trick Opened for…RattAuthor Greg Prato offers an excerpt of his new book, World Infestation: The Ratt Story, wherein then-Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos was willing to look back at the time Cheap Trick opened for the L.A. glam metal band – who was touring at the time in support of their platinum LP, Dancing Undercover.

Getting It Done: The Week in D.I.Y. & Indie MusicLast week, our tips and advice for the independent, do-it-yourselfers out there covered how to plan and advance your gigs the right way, how to use Amazon’s new artist marketing. Continue reading
The post Getting It Done: The Week in D.I.Y. & Indie Music appeared first on Hypebot.