The NAMM Show Perseveres with Scaled-Down, High-Energy 2023 Return

Published on 2023/05/01

The second SoCal-based NAMM Show since the COVID shutdown held this past April 13-15 at the Anaheim Convention Center in […]

Behind the Curtain: Interviewing Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson in 1975

Published on 2020/12/14

For his latest Behind the Curtain entry, rock journalist Steve Rosen recalls his admiration of Jethro Tull and Ian Anderson — […]

Behind the Curtain: In Pursuit of the Perfect Guitar Pick

Published on 2020/10/12

For his latest Behind the Curtain entry, rock journalist Steve Rosen expands upon the draw of one of of his lifelong […]

Behind the Curtain: Jamming with Eddie Van Halen (A Tribute to the Late Guitar Legend)

Published on 2020/10/06

This entry from Steve Rosen in our Behind the Curtain section originally ran in 2014 and was buried in the […]

Behind the Curtain: Arthur Lee of Love and the Bonds We Make with the Music That Moves Us

Published on 2020/09/15

For his latest Behind the Curtain entry, rock journalist Steve Rosen recalls meeting one of his heroes, Arthur Lee of Love, […]

Behind the Curtain: A Rookie Journalist Interviewing Paul McCartney Backstage at the Birmingham Odeon in 1973

Published on 2020/08/10

For his latest Behind the Curtain entry, rock journalist Steve Rosen recalls his terrifying — and life-changing — experience interviewing […]

Behind the Curtain: Ian Wallace, Brad Dutz and Tal Bergman and the Music of ‘The Ten Commandments’ with Val Kilmer and Adam Lambert

Published on 2020/07/13

For his latest Behind the Curtain, Steve Rosen recalls a memorable trip to the Kodak Theatre (now the Dolby Theatre) […]

Behind the Curtain: Focus and Precision, Thy Name is Travis Barker

Published on 2020/06/10

The time is only a few minutes past 10:00 a.m in the morning and Travis Barker has already been beating […]

Behind the Curtain: Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and the Magic of Music-Connected Memories

Published on 2020/05/12

For his latest Behind the Curtain entry, rock and roll writer Steve Rosen recounts a memorable afternoon with one of […]

Behind the Curtain: (Almost) Close Encounters of the Eric Clapton Kind

Published on 2020/04/14

Most Behind the Curtain columns feature Steve Rosen detailing his eye-popping encounters with rock and roll icons — but this […]

Behind the Curtain: Joe Perry and Aerosmith, Before and After Getting Clean

Published on 2020/03/12

For this month’s Behind the Curtain, Steve Rosen recalls various encounters with Joe Perry and Aerosmith at disparate points in […]

Behind the Curtain: Touring the Marshall Amplification Factory and Lunch with Jim Marshall in 1976

Published on 2020/02/13

There was a movie released in the summer of 2019 titled Yesterday, depicting a world in which the Beatles never […]

Behind the Curtain: Stephen Stills

Published on 2020/01/14

STEPHEN STILLS: BEHIND THE CURTAIN I do my food shopping at a market called Ralphs. Located at the corner of […]

John Frusciante, Circa 2004: A Previously Unpublished and Detailed Interview with the Red Hot Chili Peppers Guitarist

Published on 2019/12/20

December 2019 brought with it exciting news for fans of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, as longtime guitarist John Frusciante […]

Behind the Curtain: Interviewing Gene Simmons of KISS in 1978

Published on 2019/12/13

In August 1978, I interviewed Gene Simmons for what would become a January 1979 cover story in Guitar Player Magazine. […]

Behind the Curtain: Prepping for the End of the World with Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter

Published on 2019/11/14

In this latest Behind the Curtain entry, Steve Rosen recounts an unexpectedly serious chat with Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, then of […]

Rival Sons at the Clive Davis Theatre at the Grammy Museum, Los Angeles (Recap)

Published on 2019/10/16

Rival Sons made a one-off stop at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles recently to perform a stripped-down, acoustic set […]

Behind the Curtain: Andy Summers of the Police

Published on 2019/10/10

When Andy Summers plays guitar, you imagine his fingers dancing on the fretboard in some mad choreography of echoes, reverbs, […]

Behind the Curtain: Connecting with Guitar God George Lynch, Circa 1987

Published on 2019/09/13

For this month’s Behind the Curtain entry, Steve Rosen recounts his experience interviewing — and connecting with — George Lynch, […]

Behind the Curtain: Neal Schon

Published on 2019/08/13

For his latest Behind The Curtain entry, writer Steve rosen recounts a few run-ins with renowned guitarist Neal Schon, of […]

Behind the Curtain: Guitar Tips from Larry Carlton

Published on 2019/07/12

Larry Carlton walked out onstage at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas on a hot and sticky afternoon on […]

Behind the Curtain: Trying (and Failing) to Get Donald Fagen of Steely Dan to Smile

Published on 2019/06/13

As a young, exuberant and adventurous rock writer back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, I would fly anywhere to pursue […]

Behind the Curtain: An Easygoing Encounter with Ronnie James Dio

Published on 2019/05/06

In his latest Behind the Curtain column, Steve Rosen recalls making a return visit to chat with Ritchie Blackmore — […]

Behind the Curtain: Recording Musicians in Kathmandu for the Waterbone Project (Part 2)

Published on 2019/04/10

And now, the sequel to Part 1 of Steve Rosen’s Behind the Curtain story of his trip to Kathmandu for […]

Behind the Curtain: Recording Musicians in Kathmandu for the Waterbone Project (Part 1)

Published on 2019/03/13

Prologue: This is unlike any other story I’ve ever written here. Those of you who have followed my travails and […]

Behind the Curtain: Picking Up the Tab for Motley Crue’s Mick Mars

Published on 2019/02/13

In his latest Behind the Curtain entry, veteran rock music scribe Steve Rosen details run-ins with Motley Crue guitarist Mick […]

Behind the Curtain: Expectations vs. Reality in Ace Frehley Interviews, a Few Decades Apart

Published on 2019/01/11

Back in late 1978 when I first interviewed Ace Frehley and found out I would be talking to him on […]

Behind the Curtain: Leo Fender/Dale Hyatt

Published on 2018/12/13

Photo: Rosen, Leo Fender and Hyatt (Glen Laferman) I can’t remember a lot of things. I can’t remember my house in […]

Behind the Curtain: John McLaughlin and the Value of a Job Well Done

Published on 2018/11/09

In which writer Steve Rosen recounts his adventures with guitarist/composer John McLaughlin … This story was originally meant to begin […]

Behind the Curtain: Cataloging Vinyl vs. Catching a Young Eric Johnson at the Whisky a Go Go

Published on 2018/10/11

I remember it was a Wednesday night sometime in early 1980 when the phone rang. My friend, Craig, wanted to […]

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Cruel World Festival 2024: Duran Duran, Blondie, Simple Minds, Many More Set for Pasadena on 5/11

Published on 2023/12/04

The Cruel World Music Festival will return to Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, May 11, […]

Brenda Lee Makes History as “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” Tops the Billboard Hot 100 — for the First Time

Published on 2023/12/04

For the first time, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” is a bona fide No. 1 hit. The classic holiday anthem […]

Mammoth WVH Adds ‘Mammoth II 2024 Tour’ Headlining Dates; Also Supporting Metallica, Foo Fighters

Published on 2023/12/04

Next year will be very busy for Wolfgang Van Halen and his Mammoth WVH project, which will be hitting the […]

U2 to Wrap ‘U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere’ in Las Vegas with Four More Shows — and 40 in Total

Published on 2023/12/04

Four new — and final — shows have been added to the schedule for U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere, […]

KISS Enters ‘New Era’ as a Virtual Band Following Madison Square Garden ‘End of the Road’ Tour Finale

Published on 2023/12/04

This past Saturday night, Dec. 2, KISS took the stage at Madison Square Garden for a performance billed as “their […]

Author: Steve Rosen