Today you got a pair of classic concert firsts, and a totally unique (and extremely influential) American rock icon having a birthday...

Iggy Pop
Iggy/The Stooges; Coachella Festival, Indio, CA., April, 2003. (Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)
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4/21/1969 (46 years ago today) - The London media and press gave her rave reviews: The Brits just couldn't get enough of Janis Joplin after her very first show in the U.K. on this date, part of The Kozmic Blues Band European tour. But, as with Big Brother & The Holding Company, by the end of the year Janis will have moved onto another line-up of musicians who would become known as The Full Tilt Boogie Band -- that would turn out to be the last group she ever sang with.

4/21/1990 (25 years ago today) - Anyway you look at it, it's an absolutely astounding number of people in one place: Paul McCartney creates a new world record (of course) for the largest crowd attendance at a rock show -- 184,000 fans go nuts for Macca's performance at Rio De Janeiro's Maracana Stadium. Holy Volume Knobs!!!

4/21/1947 - His real name is James Newell Osterberg, Jr.: Happy Birthday to the indestructible Iggy Pop, a rather muscular 68 years old today. Raised in a trailer park in Ypsalanti, Michigan, and earning his nickname as drummer for high school band The Iguanas, Iggy carried the mantle for being a punk rocker years and years and years before anyone even realized there was such a thing! The Stooges went on to become one of the most influential rock bands ever, though most fans don't realize he's flirted with a variety of styles throughout his career -- new wave, jazz, art-rock and blues -- Iggy is genuinely, totally fearless. "Lust For Life", "Real Wild Child", "China Girl", "Search And Destroy", "I Wanna Be Your Dog", "Ain't No Fun": Good Lord, kids, they still sound new! We love ya, Iggy!

Let us know what else you'd like to see on the Calendar; leave your suggestions right here on our web site and on the WBLM Facebook and Twitter pages with the hashtag #TommysCoffeeBreak.

"Now we're gonna be face-to-face/I'll lay right down in my favorite place...", xoxo!

 

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