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Music News: SpongeBob SquarePants musical moves to Broadway

A scene from the Chicago production of 'SpongeBob SquarePants' - that's SpongeBob in the middle
A scene from the Chicago production of 'SpongeBob SquarePants' - that's SpongeBob in the middleJoan Marcus/Steppenwolf Theater

by Jay Gabler

June 05, 2017

A new SpongeBob SquarePants musical will open on Broadway on Nov. 6. Instead of having a single composer, the musical has songs by established pop stars including David Bowie; Steven Tyler and Joe Perry (Aerosmith); the Flaming Lips; Cyndi Lauper, and more. (New York Times)

The musical premiered last summer in Chicago, where the Chicago Tribune said it "might just be the yellow tonic that Broadway, and its fans across America, sorely need."

Roger Waters responds to Thom Yorke on Radiohead in Israel controversy

Radiohead are booked to play a show in Israel next month, and over 50 prominent artists and activists have signed a petition asking the band to cancel the show due to concerns about Israel's treatment of Palestinians. Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke recently commented on the petition, saying, "It's deeply distressing that they choose to, rather than engage with us personally, throw s--t at us in public."

Now Roger Waters, one of the petition's signatories, has responded to Yorke. Waters says it's not true that there were no invitations to engage: "I have made every effort to engage with you personally, and would still like to have the conversation." Waters goes on to write, "Today is the 50th anniversary of the occupation of Palestine by Israel. Fifty years living under military occupation. Fifty years for a people with no civil rights. Fifty years of no recourse to the law. Fifty years of apartheid." (Rolling Stone)

Charges filed in Oakland warehouse show fire

Two men have been charged with manslaughter in the wake of December's deadly fire at the Ghost Ship, an unofficial warehouse venue in Oakland. 36 people died in the fire, which happened when the venue was packed for a music show and party.

Rolling Stone reports that the two men facing charges are "Derick Ion Almena, the warehouse's operator and concert promoter who converted the space into an underground venue and living space for local artists" and "Max Harris, the warehouse's creative director who had been living in the space since 2014."

Each is charged with 36 counts of manslaughter for hosting a party at what, the Alameda County district attorney says, they should have known was a "fire trap."

Remembering the Educated Rapper

The Educated Rapper, a.k.a. Jeffrey Campbell of the band U.T.F.O., has died of cancer at age 54. "Hip-Hop Will NEVER forget your contribution," wrote bandmate Kangol Kid on Instagram, "and I will never forget our journey."

The band, whose name stands for Untouchable Force Organization, are best-known for the 1984 song "Roxanne, Roxanne." The song's fame grew when Roxanne Shanté responded with "Roxanne's Revenge," which started a back-and-forth cascade of tracks that have gone down in hip-hop history as "the Roxanne Wars." (Billboard)

Let's all watch Blue Ivy dance to Earth, Wind & Fire

On June 3, superstar daughter Blue Ivy Carter danced to the Earth, Wind & Fire hit "September" at a school dance recital. Of course TMZ has footage. Can you resist watching? It's embedded at Billboard.