Beastie Boys Cancel Concerts, Push Back "Hot Sauce" After Yauch Reveals He Has Cancer

The Beastie Boys have been forced to cancel all their upcoming concerts and push back the release of their new album Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 1 after Adam Yauch revealed in a YouTube video to fans that he will undergo surgery and radiation treatment for cancer in the Parotid gland in his neck. Thankfully, Yauch (a.k.a. MCA) says the tumor in his salivary gland is localized in one area and will not affect his voice — but more importantly, it's very treatable.

Appearing alongside Adam Horowitz (but not Mike D), Yauch tells the camera that he began to notice he had swollen glands in his throat about two months ago, but it wasn't until two weeks ago that he spoke to his doctor, who recommended Yauch take some tests. The results revealed that a tumor had formed in the Parotid gland, the largest of the salivary glands. "I just need to take a little time to get this in check, and then we'll release the record and play some shows," Yauch said in a statement following the YouTube announcement; the album was originally scheduled for a September 15th release. "It's a pain in the neck (sorry had to say it) because I was really looking forward to playing these shows, but the doctors have made it clear that this is not the kind of thing that can be put aside to deal with later." According to the statement, the surgery will be followed by weeks of additional treatment.

No new release date for Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 1, originally set for September 15th, has been announced yet, Among the shows the Beasties are canceling are headlining slots at Lollapalooza, All Points West and the Austin City Limits festival. EMI released a statement that reads, "Our thoughts, love and prayers are with Adam Yauch, his family and the Beastie Boys. The most important thing is to allow Adam to focus on staying healthy. We wish him all the best and a speedy recovery."

Last month the Beasties confirmed that Hot Sauce features guests Santigold and Nas, who guested with the trio at Bonnaroo to perform their collaboration "Too Many Rappers" (the track can be found on Nah Right today).

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Song Stories

“Everything in Its Right Place”

Radiohead | 2000

Thom Yorke hit rock bottom the moment he walked offstage after a 1997 concert in Birmingham, England, which initially left him unable to speak and later led him to write the eerie, discombobulated “Everything.” “Lots of people say that song is gibberish,” he told Rolling Stone. “It’s not. It’s totally about that” – the mute paralysis that had swept over Yorke after the Birmingham show, which stayed with him through the simultaneous recording of Kid A and Amnesiac. Quoting the song’s repeated line, “Yesterday I woke up sucking a lemon,” Yorke twisted his face into a ferocious grimace, explaining, “That’s the face I had for three years.”

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