With the force of a Boston wrecking ball, EXTREME swing between unapologetic fits of fret-burning hard rock and intimately introspective balladry. This dynamic affirms the iconic multiplatinum Beantown quartet—Gary Cherone (vocals), Nuno Bettencourt (guitar), Pat Badger (bass), and Kevin Figueiredo (drums)—as one of rock’s most unpredictable, undeniable, and unbreakable groups whose songs course through the very fabric of popular culture. They’re the rare band whose music has appeared in an actual cult series a la Bill & Ted as well as the Netflix juggernaut “Stranger Things.” They’ve sold 10 million records, topped the Billboard Hot 100 at #1, packed major venues on multiple continents, memorably performed at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in London, and regularly average over 5 million monthly listeners on Spotify. However, their dynamic approach hits harder than ever on their 2023 full-length offering, Six.
Formed in 1985, the group’s quiet grind resulted in the release of the self-titled Extreme in 1989. Among many highlights, “Play With Me” not only graced the soundtrack of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, but also the season 4 opener of “Stranger Things.” Meanwhile, Extreme II: Pornograffitti bowed in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 and eventually picked up a double-platinum certification. Of course, it notably spawned “Hole Hearted” (#4 on the Billboard “Hot 100”) and the generational smash “More Than Words.” The latter soared to #1 on the “Hot 100” and remains one of the most popular rock songs of all-time with over half-a-billion streams and 633 million YouTube views and counting. It appeared in the blockbuster comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, while Jimmy Fallon and Jack Black covered it (and reimagined the iconic video) on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Other covers ranged from The Piano Guys To Frankie J. In its wake, the gold-certified III Sides To Every Story saw them return to the Top 10 on the Billboard 200. Following Waiting for the Punchline (1995) and Saudades de Rock (2008), the musicians enraptured the masses on tour. Along the way, everyone from Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine and Brian May of Queen to John Mayer publicly sung their praises. Plus, they played to a sold-out crowd at Fenway Park opening for Aerosmith. On top of that, Gary was lead singer for Van Halen (Van Halen III) and has recorded and performed with Joe Perry, while Nuno has recorded and performed with Steven Tyler and Rihanna.
