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“The Stooges are one of Rock music’s most essential elements. Without the Stooges’ considerable contribution, the Punk and Independent music scenes that came after would not have been the same. The music of the Stooges is that crucial.

In the decades since their release, the Stooges albums have not lost an ounce of speed and remain constants in my listening.

In the beginning of 2009, Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton passed away. While family, friends, band members and fans all over the world mourned the loss, no formal tribute was made.

So, on April 19 in Ann Arbor MI, we address that. The Stooges, with James Williamson and Deniz Tek on guitar, will play. It’s going to be a great and memorable night.

I can’t wait for the show! To see the Stooges play in Michigan will really be something. I am honored to be a part of the evening’s proceedings.“

– Henry Rollins

Iggy and the Stooges have been confirmed to perform at the Guitare en Scene Festival on July 31st in St Julien en Genevois, France. Tickets can be purchased at Weezevent.com.

Along with the new Iggy Pop track “Milk Cow Blues,” this original piece of Vinyl Art by Daniel Edlen is now available at PledgeMusic to benefit the David Lynch Foundation’s “Download for Good” campaign. It is an exclusive offer painted especially for DLF Music and autographed by Iggy Pop. Vinyl Art by Daniel Edlen gives something physical back to those who’ve gone digital and online with their music. It celebrates the cultural creativity that comes together in the production of vinyl recordings.

Miami Dade College’s Kendall Campus will celebrate its talented faculty and students at Chaos, Conflict and Controversy, the campus’ 19th Annual Arts and Letters Day, being held April 5-6, 2011. This year, rock-and-roll icon Iggy Pop, known for his influential contributions to punk rock, hard rock, and other styles of rock music, will be the event’s keynote speaker.

An edgy and intellectual figure, Pop will discuss his life and career with a question-and-answer period to follow. College officials don’t expect the music icon to dive off the stage and into the audience. Arts and Letters Day was created to foster artistic expression and to take learning beyond the classroom experience.

All activities will be held at MDC’s Kendall Campus and are free and open to the public. “Iggy Pop – Explorations on the Edge” will be held April 6th at the McCarthy Auditorium from 12-1 p.m EDT. For more details, visit the Miami Dade College website.

As part of the David Lynch Foundation’s partnership with PledgeMusic, Iggy Pop has contributed the track “Milk Cow Blues” to help raise money for the DLF’s work in teaching stress-reducing meditation to at-risk youth and veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. The song is now featured at PledgeMusic.com, where you can make your pledge and participate.

The track is part of a 17-track compilation download featuring other artists including Arrested Development, Au Revoir Simone, Ben Folds, Peter Gabriel, Mary Hopkin, Moby, Maroon 5, Neon Trees, Ozomatli, Heather Nova, Carmen Rizzo, Salman Ahmad, Slightly Stoopid, Dave Stewart, Andy Summers and Tom Waits. You can read more in the press release below:

David Lynch Foundation partners with PledgeMusic to release exclusive music tracks by star studded line up; Direct Artist to fan pre-launch activity has campaign over 50%

Arrested Development, Au Revoir Simone, Ben Folds, Moby, Neon Trees, Iggy Pop, Maroon 5, Peter Gabriel, Dave Stewart, Slightly Stoopid, and Tom Waits are among first featured artists

PledgeMusic, a leading international direct-to-fan platform for raising funds for musicians to record and tour, today announced a partnership with the David Lynch Foundation (DLF), to raise funds with the sale of exclusive unique tracks by the world’s top artists. All funds will go to support the work of DLF in their global outreach, including teaching stress-reducing meditation to one million at-risk youth and 10,000 veterans with PTSD.

In addition to supporting philanthropic efforts like PledgeMusic through his music, last week Lynch also unveiled his newly designed website, www.davidlynch.com which spotlights the growing catalog of releases from his David Lynch Music Company.

One of the most renowned avant-garde film directors and visual artists of his time, Lynch has always had a deep connection to music. Today, he combines those qualities with his Foundation’s partnership with PledgeMusic.

During the Pledge Campaign, supporters pledge for exclusive items from participating artists and are rewarded with Pledgers Only access to artist videos, music tracks, photos and blogs. Additional items include signed lyric sheets, albums and books from various artists (including David Lynch) and, one of the more unique items to date, the Neon Tree’s 2010 Tour Carpet!

At the end of the campaign, everyone who pledges receives the group of exclusive tracks from all the participating artists and other behind the scenes exclusives.

The artists involved have been so enthusiastic they generated a ground swell of support amongst their fans which thrust the campaign to over 50% before the official press launch had even begun.

“One of PledgeMusic’s core objectives has always been to raise money for charity,” said PledgeMusic founder, Benji Rogers. “Working with the David Lynch Foundation and the calibre of artists that have come together to support their mission is more than we could have hoped for. ‘Music for a change’ was our unofficial slogan throughout the founding of the company and today we have come together with a brilliant partner and a great cause.”

For more information, please visit www.pledgemusic.com or www.davidlynchfoundation.org.

About The David Lynch Foundation
The David Lynch Foundation was launched six years ago to bring the stress-reducing, health-promoting benefits of Transcendental Meditation to underserved populations, including at-risk inner city youth and veterans returning home from combat with post traumatic stress disorder, as well as American Indians, the homeless and prisoners. To date, DLF has provided scholarships for nearly 150,000 adults and students to learn to meditate, eliminating the traumatic stress that undermines academic achievement and fuels substance abuse and violent behavior. Independent published scientific research shows that meditating students have dramatically better test scores, grades and graduation rates, while dropout rates, suspensions, and expulsions greatly decrease.

About PledgeMusic
PledgeMusic was founded by musician Benji Rogers to give artists a DIY option for pursuing and augmenting their careers. The company was designed to be transparent and open, while benefiting artists and fans. Artists will get the funding and promotional support that they need, the fan will get the music and artist interaction that they want at the price that they want to pay, and charities who have scant fundraising resources will receive a percentage of the money raised.

Iggy and the Stooges have received two nominations for Outstanding Anthology/Compilation/Reissue at this year’s Detroit Music Awards. The band received their nominations for “Raw Power: Legacy Edition” and “The Stooges (Collector’s Edition).” The awards will be presented on April 15th. You can check out the full list of nominees at DetroitMusicAwards.com.

Iggy and the Stooges will perform at the July Fair in Valencia, Spain, known as Feria de Julio, on Saturday July 9th. The concert will be held at the outdoor garden Jardines de los Viveros at Centro Comercial Colinas, Local 47, 46184 San Antonio de Benageber C/ San Pio V, s/n; 46010 Valencia. Tickets will go on sale at Ticketmaster.es on March 21st!

Iggy and the Stooges have added another performance date to their tour schedule. The band will play at the Hop Farm Music Festival on July 2nd in Paddock Wood, Kent, U.K.

You can find more information at HopFarmFestival.com, and buy tickets at SeeTickets.com!

In an interview with Billboard.com, bassist Mike Watt talked about his work and spoke about what it’s like to play behind Iggy Pop. Mike said: “He works very hard at a gig. And I get so caught up in it — if a big garbage disposal opened up onstage and he jumped in, I’d probably jump in after him. It’s like Captain Ahab or something, getting you all whooped up in the trip of it. Once he told me, “Mike, it’s like I’m a short-order cook and I’ve got to go out to everybody out there and get their order — ‘You want fries? You want a milkshake?'”

In a separate interview with Crawdaddy! magazine, Mike said: “It’s grounded me, playing with the Stooges. They don’t operate like a machine. It’s more organic. Definitely one of the most interesting classrooms I’ve ever been in.” You can read more of Mike’s interview at Crawdaddy.com.

STEVE MACKAY
“Sometimes Like This I Talk” CD
Radon 2010

The pioneering saxman from such diverse projects as The Stooges, Violent Femmes, Snakefinger, Commander Cody, and The Radon Ensemble unleashes his third solo album. This collection of songs, captured in 5 countries and with a cast of 30 conspirators, represents the most comprehensive collection of Steve Mackay’s composed works.

For the last decade, Mackay has relentlessly crisscrossed the States, Europe and the world, bringing his unique musical vision to stage. His projects have included joining forces with jazz-core unit Zu, fronting his own band The Radon Ensemble, uniting with his first crew Carnal Kitchen and bar band Third Thursday, collaborating with underground luminaries like Dirt Bombs, Ovo, Smegma, Laundryroom Squelchers, Amps For Christ and Mike Watt, and sharing the spotlight with Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductees Iggy and the Stooges.

“Sometimes Like This I Talk” is a voyage that brings you to the forefront of Mackay’s musical history and invites a multitude of his primary backing musicians along for the ride.

This latest offering from Steve Mackay, a compelling musical figure, welcomes a new era for a far too often neglected instrument: the saxophone.

More information is available at PolyglotAgency.org.

Iggy and the Stooges will be playing the main stage at the 25th annual Suikerrock Festival in Tienen, Belgium on Friday, July 29th! Ticket presales will begin on Thursday, March 3rd at Suikerrock.be, and also at Belgian subsidiaries of Free Record Shop.

Iggy and the Stooges are confirmed as headliners for the Chester Rocks Festival on Sunday, July 3rd! Chester Rocks is a new two-day festival being held at the Chester Racecourse in Cheshire, U.K. The Stooges will be playing at the main stage. You can purchase tickets to the show at Chester-Rocks.com.