Rockpalast Blast From The Past

Although it hasn’t been staged for a dozen years, Germany’s Rockpalast Festival is making a one-off return to Essen Grugahalle Nov. 22.

“The last Rockpalast Festival was staged there in 1996 and it’s going to make a comeback to celebrate the venue’s 50th anniversary,” explained promoter Ernst-Ludwig Hartz.

During the ’70s and ’80s, acts including Grateful Dead, Dire Straits, Little Feat, Red Hot Chili Peppers, R.E.M., ZZ Top, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Van Morrison and The Who all played the legendary event.

This year’s lineup, which will play the Grugahalle’s 4,000-capacity room, includes Travis, Donovan Frankenreiter, Fleet Foxes and The Rascals.

German television station Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) will record all the bands and run the first broadcast Dec. 7.