No Beastie Boys at Outside Lands: MCA Has Cancer

Bad news from the Beastie Boys camp this morning. Adam "MCA" Yauch has been diagnosed with cancer--he has a tumor in his left parotid (salivary) gland. The good news is doctors found the cancerous tumor early, it doesn't sound to have spread to other parts of his body, and surgeons and are prepared to operate (without affecting his vocal chords) on Yauch next week. He'll go through radiation treatment as well.

The group has decided to put its focus on Yauch's recovery, canceling all tour dates (including Outside Lands) and postponing the release of the upcoming album, Hot Sauce Committee. This means they will not be headlining Outside Lands, where the band was one of the main attractions for Sunday night of the big August weekend.

In a press statement,  Yauch said, "I just need to take a little time to get this in check, and then we'll release the record and play some shows. 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." He gives a longer explanation here:

No word yet on if there's a replacement act planned for Outside Lands. As soon as we get word from the festival's HQ, we'll let you know.