Backstage Pass
Music, concerts, musicians and more.
Glenn Gamboa
Glenn Gamboa is Newsday's chief pop music critic and has been writing about music for more than 20 years.
A winner of several national awards, he headed the paper's team chronicling the impact of hip-hop in America, a project that was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2005.
He has appeared as a music industry expert on the BBC, NPR, MSG Network and several other radio and TV stations, as well as numerous newspapers and magazines.
A native of Cleveland, Gamboa currently lives in Brooklyn.
Madonna unveils 'MDNA Tour' film, 'secret project'
Photo credit: AFP/Getty Images
Madonna is planning to “start a revolution of love.”
Calling her “MDNA Tour” completed after last night’s premiere of the concert film at the Paris Theatre in Manhattan, she revealed that her next project will involve New York photographer/artist Steven Klein.
The Material Girl teased that her next project was “secret,” showing a one-minute video that included images seemingly influenced...
Read more »'The Voice' finale recap: Danielle Bradbery set to win
Photo credit: NBC
There really won’t be much drama on tonight’s finale of “The Voice.”
Danielle Bradbery, the 16-year-old country singer from Texas who made her first public performance at the show’s blind auditions, will, barring some sort of miracle, win the season. She deserves it – in that way that any artist so obviously instilled with natural talent deserves their successes. The other two finalists –...
Read more »Videos from LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Hunter Hayes and more
Photo credit: WireImage Chris McKay
LL Cool J headlines the Strong Island-heavy “Kings of the Mic” tour, with Public Enemy and De La Soul, at Roseland Ballroom Thursday.
Intro brings you the week’s hottest videos and shows every Monday. To catch up on all the Intros and watch classic Long Island music scene videos, check out Newsday Music’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/newsdaymusic.
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Read more »Jay-Z reveals 'Magna Carta Holy Grail' album plans
Photo credit: AP
Surprise! Jay-Z has a new album, “Magna Carta Holy Grail,” ready to roll out on July 4, though you’re going to need a Samsung Galaxy phone to get it that day. It will be on sale around the world on July 7.
Jay made the announcement through a three-minute Samsung commercial during Sunday’s NBA Finals game, where he talked about how “the Internet is like the Wild West.” “We need to write the...
Read more »Praise 'Yeezus': Kanye West inflames again
Photo credit: WireImage
Kanye West has always been a tightly wound bundle of contradictions.
He has long dismissed the importance of awards shows and then complained that he deserves more awards. He has fiercely defended his privacy and then forged a relationship with Kim Kardashian, perhaps the least private person in the world. They announced their baby’s gender — it’s a girl! — on Kardashian’s reality show.
However,...
Read more »Postal Service delivers at Barclays Center
Photo credit: Barbara Alper
Even The Postal Service’s Ben Gibbard knows how unlikely his band’s current success is.
“Let this be a lesson to all you musicians out there,” the singer/guitarist said, joking with the crowd Friday night, the first of two sold-out shows at the Barclays Center. “You make a record. You don’t do anything for 10 years. You end up playing at Barclays. It’s really simple.”
The craziest part...
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